352
16 Integrated Urban and Rural Water Affair Management Reform …
The reform improved the efficiency of local governments. For example, the salty
tide resistance regulation approval time was decreased from 7–10 days to 1–2 days.
2
At the same time, based on the principle of “separation of government and enterprise”,
the municipal drainage institution was reorganized to split investment, construction,
and operations.
3
16.5 Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China. In 2017, the municipality had a population of 21.7
million and produced a GDP of 2,800 billion RMB, or 129,000 RMB per capita. The
industrial structure was 0.4:19.0:80.6.
Beijing is located in a temperate, semi-humid continental monsoon climate zone,
with annual precipitation of 585 mm. Total water resources are 4.23 billion m
3 , of
which surface water resources are 2.3 billion m
3 and groundwater resources are 1.93
billion m
3 .
Municipal total water use reached its peak in the mid-1990s. In 1996, total
water use was 4.321 billion m
3 , with agriculture, industry, and domestic sectors
using 45.55%, 29.25%, and 25.20% of this, respectively. After 1996, municipal
total water-use decreased slightly. In 2017, total water use was 3.95 billion m
3 , of
which domestic, eco-environmental, industrial, and agricultural sectors used 1.47,
1.22, 0.34, and 0.51 billion m
3 , respectively. In terms of water sources, surface
water supplied 9%, groundwater supply 42%, and recycled water provided 27%.
The remaining 22% was 0.88 billion m
3 from the South-to-North Water Transfer
Project (Beijing WAB 2018). The wastewater treatment rate was 92%.
Unlike Shanghai, Beijing is short of water resources. Per capita, water resources
were only about 300 m
3 in 2000 and have since decreased to less than 200 m
3 . More
seriously, since the end of the twentieth century, both precipitation and runoff coefficients have decreased in Beijing, impacted by climate change and human activities.
Thus, the inflow to the municipality has been reduced significantly. Water resources
have become the key factor limiting the sustainable social and economic development
of the municipality. To alleviate the water shortage, the municipality has transferred
water by the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, from Hebei
Province starting in 2008, and from the Yangtze River Basin after 2014.
In the 1980s and 1990s, water resources were managed by several departments in
Beijing. The water resources bureau managed rural reservoir water sources and agricultural groundwater use; the urban municipal department was responsible for urban
water supply, saving, and groundwater; the planning department oversaw machinery
well-drilling management in planned zones; the geological and mineral department
was in charge of groundwater assessment and managed thermal water and mineral
2 https://www.chinacitywater.org/rdzt/chzhsh/zhc/19501-1.shtml.
3 https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw2/nw2314/nw24651/nw13097/nw13356/u21aw85028.html.
16 Integrated Urban and Rural Water Affair Management Reform …
The reform improved the efficiency of local governments. For example, the salty
tide resistance regulation approval time was decreased from 7–10 days to 1–2 days.
2
At the same time, based on the principle of “separation of government and enterprise”,
the municipal drainage institution was reorganized to split investment, construction,
and operations.
3
16.5 Beijing
Beijing is the capital of China. In 2017, the municipality had a population of 21.7
million and produced a GDP of 2,800 billion RMB, or 129,000 RMB per capita. The
industrial structure was 0.4:19.0:80.6.
Beijing is located in a temperate, semi-humid continental monsoon climate zone,
with annual precipitation of 585 mm. Total water resources are 4.23 billion m
3 , of
which surface water resources are 2.3 billion m
3 and groundwater resources are 1.93
billion m
3 .
Municipal total water use reached its peak in the mid-1990s. In 1996, total
water use was 4.321 billion m
3 , with agriculture, industry, and domestic sectors
using 45.55%, 29.25%, and 25.20% of this, respectively. After 1996, municipal
total water-use decreased slightly. In 2017, total water use was 3.95 billion m
3 , of
which domestic, eco-environmental, industrial, and agricultural sectors used 1.47,
1.22, 0.34, and 0.51 billion m
3 , respectively. In terms of water sources, surface
water supplied 9%, groundwater supply 42%, and recycled water provided 27%.
The remaining 22% was 0.88 billion m
3 from the South-to-North Water Transfer
Project (Beijing WAB 2018). The wastewater treatment rate was 92%.
Unlike Shanghai, Beijing is short of water resources. Per capita, water resources
were only about 300 m
3 in 2000 and have since decreased to less than 200 m
3 . More
seriously, since the end of the twentieth century, both precipitation and runoff coefficients have decreased in Beijing, impacted by climate change and human activities.
Thus, the inflow to the municipality has been reduced significantly. Water resources
have become the key factor limiting the sustainable social and economic development
of the municipality. To alleviate the water shortage, the municipality has transferred
water by the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project, from Hebei
Province starting in 2008, and from the Yangtze River Basin after 2014.
In the 1980s and 1990s, water resources were managed by several departments in
Beijing. The water resources bureau managed rural reservoir water sources and agricultural groundwater use; the urban municipal department was responsible for urban
water supply, saving, and groundwater; the planning department oversaw machinery
well-drilling management in planned zones; the geological and mineral department
was in charge of groundwater assessment and managed thermal water and mineral
2 https://www.chinacitywater.org/rdzt/chzhsh/zhc/19501-1.shtml.
3 https://www.shanghai.gov.cn/nw2/nw2314/nw24651/nw13097/nw13356/u21aw85028.html.