332
15 Agricultural Water Management in Northern China
to the local water system. In contrast, the ET approach focuses on actual water
consumption and encourages farmers to reduce water use. For example, farmers can
limit evaporation by reducing waterlogged areas, by irrigating when evaporation is at
its lowest (at night instead of during the day), by using moisture-retaining mulches,
and by replacing open canals and ditches with pipes (World Bank 2009).
ET-based Water Rights Management and Groundwater Management
in Guantao County, Hebei Province
Guantao County locates at the southern part of Hebei province, and is
short of water resources severely, with only 196 m
3 occupation per capita.
Supported by the GEF-Haihe River Integrated Water and Environmental
Management Project, the county implemented ET-based water rights allocation
and management.
The county selected the annual average precipitation as the target ET, allocated ET to cultivated land and non-cultivated land. And then the allocations were transferred as the permitted groundwater development volume of
the aquifers. The ET for cultivated land was further allocated down to each
town/county, village, and farmer. The ET for non-cultivated land including
domestic and stock water use and other public-interest use was allocated to
the village. In the groundwater overdraft region, each farmer had to share the
groundwater shortage.
After implementing ET-based water rights reform, the groundwater level
decrease rate was significantly improved. The annual average groundwater
level decrease rate reduced to 0.126 m during 2000–2009, which was 0.73 m
before 2000. Compared to the 2004 baseline year, the annual groundwater
decrease rate was 0.024 m during 2005–2009. The groundwater overdraft
volume had decreased by more than 50%.
Source: Gao et al. (2012).
15.4.5 Allocating Water for Agriculture and Regulating
Agricultural Water Use Structures
In terms of supply, several measures have been taken to allocate and guarantee water
resources for agriculture in China. Several major water source and regional allocation
projects, such as the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, have been constructed
to alleviate water-use pressures in key agricultural production zones.
The use of non-traditional water resources, such as precipitation and greywater, has also been encouraged in agriculture. Integrated measures have also been
promoted, such as combining storage, diversion, and pumping measures in surface
15 Agricultural Water Management in Northern China
to the local water system. In contrast, the ET approach focuses on actual water
consumption and encourages farmers to reduce water use. For example, farmers can
limit evaporation by reducing waterlogged areas, by irrigating when evaporation is at
its lowest (at night instead of during the day), by using moisture-retaining mulches,
and by replacing open canals and ditches with pipes (World Bank 2009).
ET-based Water Rights Management and Groundwater Management
in Guantao County, Hebei Province
Guantao County locates at the southern part of Hebei province, and is
short of water resources severely, with only 196 m
3 occupation per capita.
Supported by the GEF-Haihe River Integrated Water and Environmental
Management Project, the county implemented ET-based water rights allocation
and management.
The county selected the annual average precipitation as the target ET, allocated ET to cultivated land and non-cultivated land. And then the allocations were transferred as the permitted groundwater development volume of
the aquifers. The ET for cultivated land was further allocated down to each
town/county, village, and farmer. The ET for non-cultivated land including
domestic and stock water use and other public-interest use was allocated to
the village. In the groundwater overdraft region, each farmer had to share the
groundwater shortage.
After implementing ET-based water rights reform, the groundwater level
decrease rate was significantly improved. The annual average groundwater
level decrease rate reduced to 0.126 m during 2000–2009, which was 0.73 m
before 2000. Compared to the 2004 baseline year, the annual groundwater
decrease rate was 0.024 m during 2005–2009. The groundwater overdraft
volume had decreased by more than 50%.
Source: Gao et al. (2012).
15.4.5 Allocating Water for Agriculture and Regulating
Agricultural Water Use Structures
In terms of supply, several measures have been taken to allocate and guarantee water
resources for agriculture in China. Several major water source and regional allocation
projects, such as the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, have been constructed
to alleviate water-use pressures in key agricultural production zones.
The use of non-traditional water resources, such as precipitation and greywater, has also been encouraged in agriculture. Integrated measures have also been
promoted, such as combining storage, diversion, and pumping measures in surface