2.2 Main Water Resources Management Systems
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administrative department of the State Council. The local medium- and long-term
water supply and demand plan shall be formulated by the WAD of local governments,
together with relevant departments at the same level, according to the upper level
medium- and long-term water supply and demand plan, and local circumstances;
and be implemented after being examined and approved by the development and
planning administrative department of the same level government.”
The macro-level allocation of water resources refers to distributing the limited
water resources in various forms between river basins and regions in the country,
river basin, or region, by means of both structural and non-structural measures, and
in accordance with the rules of a market economy and the natural regimes of water
resources, while following the principles of efficiency, equality, reasonability, and
sustainability. The macro-level allocation of water resources is achieved through the
formulation and implementation of medium- and long-term water supply and demand
plans crossing river basins, provinces, prefectures, and counties. Water resources
availability provides the basis for formulating such plans.
The medium- and long-term water supply and demand planning system is the
overall arrangement to regulate total water supply and demand. In accordance with
the water resources availability and the eco-environmental catching capacity, the
plan analyzes the current circumstances and then forecasts the medium- and longterm future. Based on the water demand from social and economic activities and the
supply from the water resources system and its development, the plan is required to
balance the domestic, productive, and ecological water uses in accordance with the
principles of overall consideration, comprehensive balance, and rational allocation.
The formulation of the medium- and long-term water supply and demand plan has an
impact on all aspects of the national economy and the eco-environment, and thus it is
an important part of medium- and long-term national social and economic planning.
The preparation of medium- and long-term water supply and demand plans
follows five principles. The first is coordination between water supply and demand:
the water supply and demand should be comprehensively forecasted and analyzed.
The second is comprehensive balance: the programs and measures for reasonably
restraining demand; increasing effective supply; and protecting the eco-environment
should be comprehensively studied, coordinated, and balanced. The third is ecological protection: the domestic, productive, and eco-environmental water uses should
be coordinated overall, and the various available water resources should be rationally allocated in a region to facilitate coordination among water resources development and use, river basin, or regional socio-economic development and the ecoenvironment. The fourth is water saving: water saving should be given prominence
by fully promoting and using water-saving technologies, processes, equipment, and
products; by building water-saving awareness among the public and developing a
water-saving management system; and by strengthening water-saving measures in
agriculture, industry, and society. The fifth is rational development: surface and
groundwater resources should be rationally developed; the surface, groundwater,
and transferred water should be allocated reasonably; the water supply should be
increased, and incentives for water saving should be developed to alleviate water
supply and demand conflicts.
27
administrative department of the State Council. The local medium- and long-term
water supply and demand plan shall be formulated by the WAD of local governments,
together with relevant departments at the same level, according to the upper level
medium- and long-term water supply and demand plan, and local circumstances;
and be implemented after being examined and approved by the development and
planning administrative department of the same level government.”
The macro-level allocation of water resources refers to distributing the limited
water resources in various forms between river basins and regions in the country,
river basin, or region, by means of both structural and non-structural measures, and
in accordance with the rules of a market economy and the natural regimes of water
resources, while following the principles of efficiency, equality, reasonability, and
sustainability. The macro-level allocation of water resources is achieved through the
formulation and implementation of medium- and long-term water supply and demand
plans crossing river basins, provinces, prefectures, and counties. Water resources
availability provides the basis for formulating such plans.
The medium- and long-term water supply and demand planning system is the
overall arrangement to regulate total water supply and demand. In accordance with
the water resources availability and the eco-environmental catching capacity, the
plan analyzes the current circumstances and then forecasts the medium- and longterm future. Based on the water demand from social and economic activities and the
supply from the water resources system and its development, the plan is required to
balance the domestic, productive, and ecological water uses in accordance with the
principles of overall consideration, comprehensive balance, and rational allocation.
The formulation of the medium- and long-term water supply and demand plan has an
impact on all aspects of the national economy and the eco-environment, and thus it is
an important part of medium- and long-term national social and economic planning.
The preparation of medium- and long-term water supply and demand plans
follows five principles. The first is coordination between water supply and demand:
the water supply and demand should be comprehensively forecasted and analyzed.
The second is comprehensive balance: the programs and measures for reasonably
restraining demand; increasing effective supply; and protecting the eco-environment
should be comprehensively studied, coordinated, and balanced. The third is ecological protection: the domestic, productive, and eco-environmental water uses should
be coordinated overall, and the various available water resources should be rationally allocated in a region to facilitate coordination among water resources development and use, river basin, or regional socio-economic development and the ecoenvironment. The fourth is water saving: water saving should be given prominence
by fully promoting and using water-saving technologies, processes, equipment, and
products; by building water-saving awareness among the public and developing a
water-saving management system; and by strengthening water-saving measures in
agriculture, industry, and society. The fifth is rational development: surface and
groundwater resources should be rationally developed; the surface, groundwater,
and transferred water should be allocated reasonably; the water supply should be
increased, and incentives for water saving should be developed to alleviate water
supply and demand conflicts.