272
12 The Strictest Water Resources Management Strategy …
Management instruments should evolve into more integrated forms. Water
resources management objectives should be integrated with socio-economic development and eco-environmental protection targets. They should also be incorporated into
social, economic, resources, and environmental systems. The legal, administrative,
economic, scientific, and technology instruments, as well as propaganda and education, should be comprehensively applied. The relationship between water resources
development, use, allocation, saving, and protection should be coordinated. Both
governmental public administration and market mechanisms shall be well played.
More public participation is necessary to improve water resources management.
It could be assessed that, except for the introduction of a responsibility and assessment system, the contents and tasks of the strategy are not new: the older 2002 Water
Law requires all of these changes in principle. So some might argue it is a case of “old
wine in a new bottle.” But in certain aspects, the 2009 strategy demonstrates a greater
degree of strictness in terms of: (1) firmer management objectives reflected in the
three “red lines”; (2) tighter management systems reflected in complete implementation of water resources management systems, (3) tighter control of overdeveloped
regions; and (4) the more exacting assessment reflected in connecting outcomes with
the local leadership’s achievements (Hu 2012).
Of course, there are some concerns about this strategy, too. The assessment system
under the strategy is not in reality a water resources management system; it aims to
manage governmental leadership and water resources managers, not water resources.
As such, it is not a water resources management system but an oversight system for
water systems. The question then is whether, if the water resources management
system has not been successfully implemented, is a non-water system likely to be
more effective in addressing water issues?
At the same time, the strategy relies on strong governmental administration.
Although it is sometimes necessary to strengthen the government’s role in the face
of major problems, water issues cannot be solved effectively by central authority
alone. It remains to be seen whether this arrangement affects the role of market
mechanisms and of civil society in water resources management. Equally, it remains
an open question as to how to fully employ market mechanisms and promote civil
society participation in water resources management within China.
After the development of the strict new water resources management strategy as
the “definite” management solution, it could be projected that no stronger strategy
will be developed in the next 20–30 years. Addressing the severe water resources
issues in China will be wholly dependent on the implementation and achievement of
that strategy.
Except for assessment protocols, some other key tasks of the strategy are not being
implemented satisfactorily. The river basin water resources allocation has stalled.
River basin water allocation plans are the basis for total volume control under the
strategy and should provide the guidance to manage individual water-use activities.
However, after realizing the importance of water resources and rights, water resources
allocation is facing many non-technical difficulties from quarters such as regional
politics. As a result, the first 25 cross-province river basins were not yet formulated as
12 The Strictest Water Resources Management Strategy …
Management instruments should evolve into more integrated forms. Water
resources management objectives should be integrated with socio-economic development and eco-environmental protection targets. They should also be incorporated into
social, economic, resources, and environmental systems. The legal, administrative,
economic, scientific, and technology instruments, as well as propaganda and education, should be comprehensively applied. The relationship between water resources
development, use, allocation, saving, and protection should be coordinated. Both
governmental public administration and market mechanisms shall be well played.
More public participation is necessary to improve water resources management.
It could be assessed that, except for the introduction of a responsibility and assessment system, the contents and tasks of the strategy are not new: the older 2002 Water
Law requires all of these changes in principle. So some might argue it is a case of “old
wine in a new bottle.” But in certain aspects, the 2009 strategy demonstrates a greater
degree of strictness in terms of: (1) firmer management objectives reflected in the
three “red lines”; (2) tighter management systems reflected in complete implementation of water resources management systems, (3) tighter control of overdeveloped
regions; and (4) the more exacting assessment reflected in connecting outcomes with
the local leadership’s achievements (Hu 2012).
Of course, there are some concerns about this strategy, too. The assessment system
under the strategy is not in reality a water resources management system; it aims to
manage governmental leadership and water resources managers, not water resources.
As such, it is not a water resources management system but an oversight system for
water systems. The question then is whether, if the water resources management
system has not been successfully implemented, is a non-water system likely to be
more effective in addressing water issues?
At the same time, the strategy relies on strong governmental administration.
Although it is sometimes necessary to strengthen the government’s role in the face
of major problems, water issues cannot be solved effectively by central authority
alone. It remains to be seen whether this arrangement affects the role of market
mechanisms and of civil society in water resources management. Equally, it remains
an open question as to how to fully employ market mechanisms and promote civil
society participation in water resources management within China.
After the development of the strict new water resources management strategy as
the “definite” management solution, it could be projected that no stronger strategy
will be developed in the next 20–30 years. Addressing the severe water resources
issues in China will be wholly dependent on the implementation and achievement of
that strategy.
Except for assessment protocols, some other key tasks of the strategy are not being
implemented satisfactorily. The river basin water resources allocation has stalled.
River basin water allocation plans are the basis for total volume control under the
strategy and should provide the guidance to manage individual water-use activities.
However, after realizing the importance of water resources and rights, water resources
allocation is facing many non-technical difficulties from quarters such as regional
politics. As a result, the first 25 cross-province river basins were not yet formulated as