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19 Review and Outlook
Emphasis on both macro- and micro-management
During the 40 years that followed 1978, China used the first 30 years to develop
micro-level water resources management systems, such as water-use quotas, planned
water use, abstraction permits, and water resources fees, and the last 10 years to
apply macro-level systems, such as river basin allocation and total water-use volume
control. Until now, the connection and integration between macro-level and microlevel systems have been weak and poor. Therefore, both micro- and macro-systems
will be strengthened to improve the connection between systems.
Continuing institutional reform
Since 2018, water-related key functions have been grouped into five categories:
property rights of water resources, water resources management, water infrastructure management, water quality management, and emergency management. The efficiency and effectiveness of the current institutional arrangement needs to be verified over time. In this process, problematic arrangements will be corrected, and
institutional reform in the water sector will continue.
More challenges to integrated water resources management
Under the current institutional structure, coordination and integrated water resources
management will be a challenge. Over the past 40 years, China has applied institutional reforms to solve the coordination problems in the sector. But the 2018 institutional reform is based on key functions rather than on a view of the water sector.
Therefore, both intra-sector and out-of-sector coordination will be a challenge. Out
of the sector, more water agencies will be involved with other sectors, such as land
and forest sectors. In the water sector, an emerging issue is the coordination between
quality and quantity, ownership rights and use rights management, and contingency
management and normal management.
River basin management in a Chinese context
China adopts a middle way to deal with river basin management and jurisdictional
management. In this combination approach, river basin management is weaker than
jurisdictional management. This is easy to understand because river basin management in China is not a part of the administrative system. After the 1988 Water Law,
China tried to strengthen river basin management; now, after almost 20 years of the
2002 Water Law, China has found a way to balance river basin management and
jurisdictional management. The requirement to strengthen river basin management
mainly comes from water issues. Given that the total water use has been stable,
the regional water conflicts will be not intensified. To some extent, this reduces the
demand for management activities at the river basin level, but in other respects, water
quality and ecosystem protection at the river basin level are uncertain.
A long process for water rights system development
Water rights reform in China has completed only the framework design and pilot
over the past 20 years. From a theoretical perspective, water rights have been clearly
19 Review and Outlook
Emphasis on both macro- and micro-management
During the 40 years that followed 1978, China used the first 30 years to develop
micro-level water resources management systems, such as water-use quotas, planned
water use, abstraction permits, and water resources fees, and the last 10 years to
apply macro-level systems, such as river basin allocation and total water-use volume
control. Until now, the connection and integration between macro-level and microlevel systems have been weak and poor. Therefore, both micro- and macro-systems
will be strengthened to improve the connection between systems.
Continuing institutional reform
Since 2018, water-related key functions have been grouped into five categories:
property rights of water resources, water resources management, water infrastructure management, water quality management, and emergency management. The efficiency and effectiveness of the current institutional arrangement needs to be verified over time. In this process, problematic arrangements will be corrected, and
institutional reform in the water sector will continue.
More challenges to integrated water resources management
Under the current institutional structure, coordination and integrated water resources
management will be a challenge. Over the past 40 years, China has applied institutional reforms to solve the coordination problems in the sector. But the 2018 institutional reform is based on key functions rather than on a view of the water sector.
Therefore, both intra-sector and out-of-sector coordination will be a challenge. Out
of the sector, more water agencies will be involved with other sectors, such as land
and forest sectors. In the water sector, an emerging issue is the coordination between
quality and quantity, ownership rights and use rights management, and contingency
management and normal management.
River basin management in a Chinese context
China adopts a middle way to deal with river basin management and jurisdictional
management. In this combination approach, river basin management is weaker than
jurisdictional management. This is easy to understand because river basin management in China is not a part of the administrative system. After the 1988 Water Law,
China tried to strengthen river basin management; now, after almost 20 years of the
2002 Water Law, China has found a way to balance river basin management and
jurisdictional management. The requirement to strengthen river basin management
mainly comes from water issues. Given that the total water use has been stable,
the regional water conflicts will be not intensified. To some extent, this reduces the
demand for management activities at the river basin level, but in other respects, water
quality and ecosystem protection at the river basin level are uncertain.
A long process for water rights system development
Water rights reform in China has completed only the framework design and pilot
over the past 20 years. From a theoretical perspective, water rights have been clearly