15.2 Agricultural Water Use and Agricultural Production …
311
them being drained and reclaimed as cultivated land. After the 1990s, with the occupation of cultivated land by social and economic development in southern China,
traditionally “fish and rice country,” the northern province was instead developed as
a key grain production base. The irrigated land area in the province has increased
rapidly as a result. The effective irrigated area almost doubled from 1.08 million ha
in 1990 to 2.03 million ha in 2000. By 2018, 2018 that figure had soared to 6.12
million ha. The province now produces more than 10% of the total grain yield of
the country. With the expansion of cultivated land, the agricultural water use of the
province has increased substantially from 12.97 billion m
3 in 1993 to 30.48 billion
m
3 in 2018.
In northern China, therefore, and across the country as a whole, the development
and use of agricultural water resources can be seen to vary widely between provinces
but to show clear characteristics in general, including a decline in the percentage of
total resources used and stable demand for water use across the agricultural sector.
15.3 Agricultural Water Resources Management
Framework
15.3.1 Institutions
15.3.1.1 WAD
MWR
In terms of agricultural water resources management, MWR is responsible for
drafting water-related laws, regulations, departmental rules and policies; formulating water resources strategic plans, master plans, and the central water investment
plan and organizing its implementation. It is also responsible for: allocating and
managing water resources for agriculture; organizing and coordinating rural irrigation infrastructure construction; guiding the construction and management of rural
safe drinking water supply and water-saving projects; and developing a rural water
resources service system. After a 2018 governmental restructure, field-level works
on irrigation infrastructure were handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture; the
MWR is now only responsible for large and medium-scale irrigation and drainage
engineering projects.
The Department of Rural Water Resources Management and Hydropower of the
MWR is in charge of organizing to draft and supervising to implement rural water
resources management legislation, policies, development strategies, and technical
standards. It guides the construction and management of irrigation and drainage
projects as well as large and medium-scale irrigation district and pumping stations,
and oversees irrigation experiment works. It also oversees rural drinking water supply
311
them being drained and reclaimed as cultivated land. After the 1990s, with the occupation of cultivated land by social and economic development in southern China,
traditionally “fish and rice country,” the northern province was instead developed as
a key grain production base. The irrigated land area in the province has increased
rapidly as a result. The effective irrigated area almost doubled from 1.08 million ha
in 1990 to 2.03 million ha in 2000. By 2018, 2018 that figure had soared to 6.12
million ha. The province now produces more than 10% of the total grain yield of
the country. With the expansion of cultivated land, the agricultural water use of the
province has increased substantially from 12.97 billion m
3 in 1993 to 30.48 billion
m
3 in 2018.
In northern China, therefore, and across the country as a whole, the development
and use of agricultural water resources can be seen to vary widely between provinces
but to show clear characteristics in general, including a decline in the percentage of
total resources used and stable demand for water use across the agricultural sector.
15.3 Agricultural Water Resources Management
Framework
15.3.1 Institutions
15.3.1.1 WAD
MWR
In terms of agricultural water resources management, MWR is responsible for
drafting water-related laws, regulations, departmental rules and policies; formulating water resources strategic plans, master plans, and the central water investment
plan and organizing its implementation. It is also responsible for: allocating and
managing water resources for agriculture; organizing and coordinating rural irrigation infrastructure construction; guiding the construction and management of rural
safe drinking water supply and water-saving projects; and developing a rural water
resources service system. After a 2018 governmental restructure, field-level works
on irrigation infrastructure were handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture; the
MWR is now only responsible for large and medium-scale irrigation and drainage
engineering projects.
The Department of Rural Water Resources Management and Hydropower of the
MWR is in charge of organizing to draft and supervising to implement rural water
resources management legislation, policies, development strategies, and technical
standards. It guides the construction and management of irrigation and drainage
projects as well as large and medium-scale irrigation district and pumping stations,
and oversees irrigation experiment works. It also oversees rural drinking water supply