14.2 Water Resource Allocation
297
fund the cost of the channel lining. Through this mechanism, the average annual take
from the Yellow River by the district has been reduced from 410 to 280 million m
3
(Gao 2006).
To support this process, in 2005, the Hangjin County government issued the
“Water Resource Allocation Implementation Plan for Hangjin Irrigation District.”
The plan allocates the water available under the district’s abstraction permit to each
water user association (WUA) in the district. The plan sets aside water for transmission losses through leakage and for the return flow back to the Yellow River. In addition, 15% (42 million m
3 ) is allocated for “ecological protection” to mitigate environmental impacts caused by the water-saving project (such as changes in groundwater
and its impact on vegetation), and 10–20% (28–56 million m
3 ) is reserved for risk
management and to allow for future land development. The remainder is allocated
as agricultural irrigation water rights among the WUAs (Zheng et al. 2009; WET
2007). The county has also established a regulation plan for dry periods when the
total diversion is below 85% of the annual average supply volume. This allows for
the reduction of water available to some users while guaranteeing a supply to others.
Due to the importance and severity of the water crisis, water resource allocation
and regulation in the Yellow River has received attention at the highest political levels
in China. The approach to water resource allocation in the basin has been an important
guide for water resource management elsewhere in China and for the formulation of
the 2002 Water Law. It is particularly seen as a model for water resource allocation
and regulation in northern China. Several other river basin management authorities,
including those for the Hei River, the Shiyang River, and the Tarim River, have
followed this model in terms of planning, institutional design, and regulation (WET
2006).
14.3 Water Resource Regulation
14.3.1 Water Resource Regulation of the Yellow River
According to the Yellow River Water Resources Regulation Management Regulation,
the water resources regulation framework of the Yellow River is as follows:
• The regulation methodology is the combination of annual water resource regulation planning; monthly and 10-day water resource regulation plans and real-time
regulation orders (Article 10).
• The regulation year is from the 1st Jul to 30th June the next year. (Article 10).
• The annual water resource regulation plan is drafted by YRCC in consultation with
provincial water departments and submitted to MWR for approval. The approved
annual plan is the basis for formulating the monthly and 10-day regulation plans
(Article 12).
• The annual water resource regulation plan is formulated according to the approved
water resource allocation plan, annual water forecast, reservoir storage; on the
297
fund the cost of the channel lining. Through this mechanism, the average annual take
from the Yellow River by the district has been reduced from 410 to 280 million m
3
(Gao 2006).
To support this process, in 2005, the Hangjin County government issued the
“Water Resource Allocation Implementation Plan for Hangjin Irrigation District.”
The plan allocates the water available under the district’s abstraction permit to each
water user association (WUA) in the district. The plan sets aside water for transmission losses through leakage and for the return flow back to the Yellow River. In addition, 15% (42 million m
3 ) is allocated for “ecological protection” to mitigate environmental impacts caused by the water-saving project (such as changes in groundwater
and its impact on vegetation), and 10–20% (28–56 million m
3 ) is reserved for risk
management and to allow for future land development. The remainder is allocated
as agricultural irrigation water rights among the WUAs (Zheng et al. 2009; WET
2007). The county has also established a regulation plan for dry periods when the
total diversion is below 85% of the annual average supply volume. This allows for
the reduction of water available to some users while guaranteeing a supply to others.
Due to the importance and severity of the water crisis, water resource allocation
and regulation in the Yellow River has received attention at the highest political levels
in China. The approach to water resource allocation in the basin has been an important
guide for water resource management elsewhere in China and for the formulation of
the 2002 Water Law. It is particularly seen as a model for water resource allocation
and regulation in northern China. Several other river basin management authorities,
including those for the Hei River, the Shiyang River, and the Tarim River, have
followed this model in terms of planning, institutional design, and regulation (WET
2006).
14.3 Water Resource Regulation
14.3.1 Water Resource Regulation of the Yellow River
According to the Yellow River Water Resources Regulation Management Regulation,
the water resources regulation framework of the Yellow River is as follows:
• The regulation methodology is the combination of annual water resource regulation planning; monthly and 10-day water resource regulation plans and real-time
regulation orders (Article 10).
• The regulation year is from the 1st Jul to 30th June the next year. (Article 10).
• The annual water resource regulation plan is drafted by YRCC in consultation with
provincial water departments and submitted to MWR for approval. The approved
annual plan is the basis for formulating the monthly and 10-day regulation plans
(Article 12).
• The annual water resource regulation plan is formulated according to the approved
water resource allocation plan, annual water forecast, reservoir storage; on the