19.3 Water Resources Policy After 1980
439
At the same time, Opinions on Implementing the Development of Five-System for
Water Sector was released by the MWR. This policy document set the guidelines for
water resources development over this period, based on the following five systems
(Niu 1995):
(1) A diverse, multi-channel and multi-level water sector investment system: With
the theme of the “water sector serving society and society developing water
resources”, the purpose of the system was to increase water investment. The
policy provided for water resources projects to be invested in by the state, locals,
collectives, and individuals, depending on the characteristics of the project.
(2) A scientifically based water asset operation and management system: The policy
provided for property rights of water assets to be clarified and operation and
management responsibility to be defined based on the characteristics of water
assets. Three types of water assets—social public-interest assets, payment for
services assets, and production and operation assets—were defined, as were
policies for each type.
(3) A water sector pricing and tariff system: This was meant to regulate the pricing
ratios between water services and other commodities and services.
(4) An advanced water legislative system: The goal of this was to accelerate water
legislation and improve implementation.
(5) A better and more effective water service system: This was to meet the board
goal of serving the whole of society.
To some extent, increasing investment in infrastructure can result in water
resources management being neglected. In 1993, the State Council issued the Water
Abstraction Permit Implementation Method. Supported by ministerial regulations
and provincial legislation, water abstraction permits were widely applied and became
the most effective and mature instrument for managing individual water use in China.
At the same time, most provinces started to collect water resources fees.
In this period, water resources management departments were set up at a range of
administrative levels, including those at central, river basin, provincial, prefectural,
and county levels. With increasing urban water use, the first water affairs bureau,
which integrated water supply and use with wastewater collection and treatment, was
established in 1993 (Dept. of Water Resources, MWR 2008), as discussed in Chap. 16.
In the field of water resources planning, China launched the National Medium and
Long-term Water Supply and Demand Plan in 1993 (Nanjing Institute of Hydrology
and Water Resources, MWR & Department of Water Resources, China Institute of
Water Resources and Hydropower Research 1999), which was based on methods
developed in the 1980s. However, subsequent evidence suggested that the forecasts
in this plan differed significantly from actual water use.
The most important document in this period was the Water Sector Industrialization Policy, issued in September 1997. This document aimed to address the
constraints the water sector imposed on economic development, to promote sustainable water resources development and use, and to prevent water disasters. The objectives of the policy were to clarify project characteristics and investment sources and
increase financial sources; to define reasonable prices, standardize tariff collection,
439
At the same time, Opinions on Implementing the Development of Five-System for
Water Sector was released by the MWR. This policy document set the guidelines for
water resources development over this period, based on the following five systems
(Niu 1995):
(1) A diverse, multi-channel and multi-level water sector investment system: With
the theme of the “water sector serving society and society developing water
resources”, the purpose of the system was to increase water investment. The
policy provided for water resources projects to be invested in by the state, locals,
collectives, and individuals, depending on the characteristics of the project.
(2) A scientifically based water asset operation and management system: The policy
provided for property rights of water assets to be clarified and operation and
management responsibility to be defined based on the characteristics of water
assets. Three types of water assets—social public-interest assets, payment for
services assets, and production and operation assets—were defined, as were
policies for each type.
(3) A water sector pricing and tariff system: This was meant to regulate the pricing
ratios between water services and other commodities and services.
(4) An advanced water legislative system: The goal of this was to accelerate water
legislation and improve implementation.
(5) A better and more effective water service system: This was to meet the board
goal of serving the whole of society.
To some extent, increasing investment in infrastructure can result in water
resources management being neglected. In 1993, the State Council issued the Water
Abstraction Permit Implementation Method. Supported by ministerial regulations
and provincial legislation, water abstraction permits were widely applied and became
the most effective and mature instrument for managing individual water use in China.
At the same time, most provinces started to collect water resources fees.
In this period, water resources management departments were set up at a range of
administrative levels, including those at central, river basin, provincial, prefectural,
and county levels. With increasing urban water use, the first water affairs bureau,
which integrated water supply and use with wastewater collection and treatment, was
established in 1993 (Dept. of Water Resources, MWR 2008), as discussed in Chap. 16.
In the field of water resources planning, China launched the National Medium and
Long-term Water Supply and Demand Plan in 1993 (Nanjing Institute of Hydrology
and Water Resources, MWR & Department of Water Resources, China Institute of
Water Resources and Hydropower Research 1999), which was based on methods
developed in the 1980s. However, subsequent evidence suggested that the forecasts
in this plan differed significantly from actual water use.
The most important document in this period was the Water Sector Industrialization Policy, issued in September 1997. This document aimed to address the
constraints the water sector imposed on economic development, to promote sustainable water resources development and use, and to prevent water disasters. The objectives of the policy were to clarify project characteristics and investment sources and
increase financial sources; to define reasonable prices, standardize tariff collection,