Chapter 16
Integrated Urban and Rural Water
Affair Management Reform: Shanghai
and Beijing
Abstract This chapter analyzes integrated urban and rural water affairs management
reform in China in the face of changing water resource problems, with case studies
of Shanghai and Beijing. The chapter introduces changes in the water sector brought
about by rapid socio-economic development, analyzes the institutional basis for
conducting reform, and describes the reform process. With Shanghai and Beijing as
examples, the chapter examines the characteristics and functions of the Water Affairs
Bureau. In terms of water affairs, the relationship between rural and urban regions is
becoming closer with increasing urbanization. Significant increases in urban water
usage raise the need to reform the patterns of water resources management. Reform
in integrated urban and rural water affairs was proposed by China’s water sector and
some of its managers in the early 1990s. To some degree, this reform is a merging of
water quality, quantity, and urban and rural efforts to improve communication and
coordination. The reform process can be divided into a locally initiated reform effort
in the early 1990s, an MWR-promoted effort from then until 2008, and a locally
decided effort after 2008. The reforms in both Shanghai and Beijing have achieved
management efficiency in water resources.
Keywords Integrated urban and rural water affairs management reform ·
Institutional reform · Urban water issues
16.1 Introduction
Rapid social and economic development has changed rural and urban relationships
in China. The urbanization rate of the country as a whole increased from 17.38% in
1970, to 19.39% in 1980, 26.41% in 1990, 36.22% in 2000, and 59.58% in 2018.
Under this process, the urban population increased from 144.24 million to 831.37
million. In developed regions, urbanization is progressing even more quickly.
These social and economic changes impact the water sector. Agricultural wateruse decreased from 84% in 1980, to 77% in 1990, 69% in 2000, and 61% in 2010.
The chapter is based on Shen, D. and Liu, D. (2008) Integrated urban and rural water affairs
management reform in China: affecting factors. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 33: 364-375
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Shen, Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China,
Global Issues in Water Policy 26, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61931-2_16
343
Integrated Urban and Rural Water
Affair Management Reform: Shanghai
and Beijing
Abstract This chapter analyzes integrated urban and rural water affairs management
reform in China in the face of changing water resource problems, with case studies
of Shanghai and Beijing. The chapter introduces changes in the water sector brought
about by rapid socio-economic development, analyzes the institutional basis for
conducting reform, and describes the reform process. With Shanghai and Beijing as
examples, the chapter examines the characteristics and functions of the Water Affairs
Bureau. In terms of water affairs, the relationship between rural and urban regions is
becoming closer with increasing urbanization. Significant increases in urban water
usage raise the need to reform the patterns of water resources management. Reform
in integrated urban and rural water affairs was proposed by China’s water sector and
some of its managers in the early 1990s. To some degree, this reform is a merging of
water quality, quantity, and urban and rural efforts to improve communication and
coordination. The reform process can be divided into a locally initiated reform effort
in the early 1990s, an MWR-promoted effort from then until 2008, and a locally
decided effort after 2008. The reforms in both Shanghai and Beijing have achieved
management efficiency in water resources.
Keywords Integrated urban and rural water affairs management reform ·
Institutional reform · Urban water issues
16.1 Introduction
Rapid social and economic development has changed rural and urban relationships
in China. The urbanization rate of the country as a whole increased from 17.38% in
1970, to 19.39% in 1980, 26.41% in 1990, 36.22% in 2000, and 59.58% in 2018.
Under this process, the urban population increased from 144.24 million to 831.37
million. In developed regions, urbanization is progressing even more quickly.
These social and economic changes impact the water sector. Agricultural wateruse decreased from 84% in 1980, to 77% in 1990, 69% in 2000, and 61% in 2010.
The chapter is based on Shen, D. and Liu, D. (2008) Integrated urban and rural water affairs
management reform in China: affecting factors. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 33: 364-375
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
D. Shen, Water Resources Management of the People’s Republic of China,
Global Issues in Water Policy 26, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61931-2_16
343