288
13 Water Resource Assets Management Reform
in accordance with the provisions of the national water abstraction permit system
and water resources fee system, apply for water abstraction permits from WADs or
RBO, pay water resources fees, and obtain the water abstraction right.
Exploring the property rights registration methods for water resources use
rights. The permitted abstraction volume and purpose shall be verified in accordance
with the total water usage control indicator, river basin water resources allocation
plan, and sectoral water usage quota, among others. For the agricultural water user
in the irrigation districts, water rights shall be clarified based on the county’s total
water-use control indicators and irrigation water usage quotas, step by step to wateruse bodies including rural economic collectives, WUAs, and farmers, as well as to
detailed water sources. The water abstractor and the user holding water resources
usage rights determine the rights to abstract and use water resources in accordance
with legislation and policies and are supervised by WAD or RBO. During contingencies (such as dry years), WAD and RBO jurisdictions can regulate water abstraction
and usage according to legislation.
Formulating supervision and management requirements for water-use
purpose regulation. WADs shall enhance water-use purpose regulation and improve
the water resources monitoring and metering system. The rights holder shall use water
in accordance with its prescribed purpose, and they are not allowed to change purpose
unless approval is granted by WADs. An assessment is required to change purposes
to prevent the occupation of urban and rural domestic water use, and ensure that
demand for basic ecological water and water necessary for agriculture can be met.
Following these guidelines, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Shule River Basin
in Gansu Province, and Yidu County in Hubei Province were selected to pilot the
clarification of water resources rights; Shule River Basin in Gansu Province, Weihe
River Basin in Shaanxi Province, Xuzhou Prefecture in Jiangsu Province, and the
Danjiangkou Reservoir (the water sources of the middle route of the South-to-North
Water Transfer Project) were selected to pilot the clarification for water eco-space.
Additionally, to implement the 2016 Guidance on Paying and Usage of Publicly
Owned Natural Resources, MWR, NDRC and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued
the Opinion on the Reform for the Payment and Usage of Water Resources in 2018.
The Opinion detailed the State Council Guidance (MWR et al. 2018).
The clarification of water flow property rights can be summarized into two parts:
waters and shoreline clarification and water-use rights clarification. The waters and
shoreline clarification is the same as the river and lake management scope defined in
the River Course Management Regulation. The water-use rights clarification is the
same as the water rights framework discussed in Chap. 6.
Xuzhou prefecture finished the pilot work in April 2019.
3 Other pilots are
estimated to finish at the end of 2019.
3 https://www.jsmlr.gov.cn/xz/gtzx/zwxx/201904/t20190430_779711.htm.
13 Water Resource Assets Management Reform
in accordance with the provisions of the national water abstraction permit system
and water resources fee system, apply for water abstraction permits from WADs or
RBO, pay water resources fees, and obtain the water abstraction right.
Exploring the property rights registration methods for water resources use
rights. The permitted abstraction volume and purpose shall be verified in accordance
with the total water usage control indicator, river basin water resources allocation
plan, and sectoral water usage quota, among others. For the agricultural water user
in the irrigation districts, water rights shall be clarified based on the county’s total
water-use control indicators and irrigation water usage quotas, step by step to wateruse bodies including rural economic collectives, WUAs, and farmers, as well as to
detailed water sources. The water abstractor and the user holding water resources
usage rights determine the rights to abstract and use water resources in accordance
with legislation and policies and are supervised by WAD or RBO. During contingencies (such as dry years), WAD and RBO jurisdictions can regulate water abstraction
and usage according to legislation.
Formulating supervision and management requirements for water-use
purpose regulation. WADs shall enhance water-use purpose regulation and improve
the water resources monitoring and metering system. The rights holder shall use water
in accordance with its prescribed purpose, and they are not allowed to change purpose
unless approval is granted by WADs. An assessment is required to change purposes
to prevent the occupation of urban and rural domestic water use, and ensure that
demand for basic ecological water and water necessary for agriculture can be met.
Following these guidelines, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Shule River Basin
in Gansu Province, and Yidu County in Hubei Province were selected to pilot the
clarification of water resources rights; Shule River Basin in Gansu Province, Weihe
River Basin in Shaanxi Province, Xuzhou Prefecture in Jiangsu Province, and the
Danjiangkou Reservoir (the water sources of the middle route of the South-to-North
Water Transfer Project) were selected to pilot the clarification for water eco-space.
Additionally, to implement the 2016 Guidance on Paying and Usage of Publicly
Owned Natural Resources, MWR, NDRC and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued
the Opinion on the Reform for the Payment and Usage of Water Resources in 2018.
The Opinion detailed the State Council Guidance (MWR et al. 2018).
The clarification of water flow property rights can be summarized into two parts:
waters and shoreline clarification and water-use rights clarification. The waters and
shoreline clarification is the same as the river and lake management scope defined in
the River Course Management Regulation. The water-use rights clarification is the
same as the water rights framework discussed in Chap. 6.
Xuzhou prefecture finished the pilot work in April 2019.
3 Other pilots are
estimated to finish at the end of 2019.
3 https://www.jsmlr.gov.cn/xz/gtzx/zwxx/201904/t20190430_779711.htm.