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2 Water Resources Management Framework
In water resources management, the water resources justification system for
construction projects is the precondition of the water abstraction permit. The Regulation on the Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee
Collection stipulates that the water resources justification report for a construction
project and its review opinions provide the examination and approval basis for a water
abstraction permit application. This provision clarifies the relationship between the
water resources justification system for construction projects and the water abstraction permit system. The justification system is a technical review, and the permit
system is the administrative approval, where a decision is made not only based on
technical issues, but also considers other factors (Department of Water Resources,
MWR 2006). The practices in different provinces reflect this arrangement: the water
resources justification for construction projects is becoming a technical review system
for the water abstraction permit, and the water permit system has been reformed to a
standard administrative approval system. Operating together, both systems form the
technical and administrative approval system for water resources management.
Another development direction of the justification system is the extension of the
system to plan formulation, which reflects a trend from the micro- (the construction project) to the macro-level (the planning area). This shift meets current water
resources management development needs in China, along with the requirements
for total volume control. At present, the MWR is preparing technical guidelines for
water resources justification plans. The pilots have been conducted at the local level,
including urban total planning and key industrial zone projects.
2.2.6 Planned Water Use System
The planned water use system is a system to manage real water resources use activities
in China. The introduction of the planned water use system is a consequence of the
stochastic aspect of water resources, namely, the year-to-year or season-to-season
changes in precipitation and inflows. The water availability and use in a given year or
season will be affected by these changes. Therefore, in water resources management,
a management mechanism or system must be developed to address this issue. In
China, the planned water use system was established to manage water resources in
a specific year or season, adjusting to precipitation or runoff changes (Huang 2003).
Thus, differently from other volume-based systems applied on an annual average
basis, the planned water use system defines the actual water use in a year or season.
The planned water use system is implemented through a series of water resources
regulation, abstraction, and use plans. Article 49 of the 2002 Water Law stipulates
that water should be utilized according to an approved water use plan. According to
the water resources allocation framework, the planned water use plan system should
consist of an annual water resources regulation plan at the river basin and regional
level, an annual water abstraction plan at the water abstraction permits level, and an
annual/seasonal water use plan at the user or sector level.
2 Water Resources Management Framework
In water resources management, the water resources justification system for
construction projects is the precondition of the water abstraction permit. The Regulation on the Management of Water Abstraction Permits and Water Resources Fee
Collection stipulates that the water resources justification report for a construction
project and its review opinions provide the examination and approval basis for a water
abstraction permit application. This provision clarifies the relationship between the
water resources justification system for construction projects and the water abstraction permit system. The justification system is a technical review, and the permit
system is the administrative approval, where a decision is made not only based on
technical issues, but also considers other factors (Department of Water Resources,
MWR 2006). The practices in different provinces reflect this arrangement: the water
resources justification for construction projects is becoming a technical review system
for the water abstraction permit, and the water permit system has been reformed to a
standard administrative approval system. Operating together, both systems form the
technical and administrative approval system for water resources management.
Another development direction of the justification system is the extension of the
system to plan formulation, which reflects a trend from the micro- (the construction project) to the macro-level (the planning area). This shift meets current water
resources management development needs in China, along with the requirements
for total volume control. At present, the MWR is preparing technical guidelines for
water resources justification plans. The pilots have been conducted at the local level,
including urban total planning and key industrial zone projects.
2.2.6 Planned Water Use System
The planned water use system is a system to manage real water resources use activities
in China. The introduction of the planned water use system is a consequence of the
stochastic aspect of water resources, namely, the year-to-year or season-to-season
changes in precipitation and inflows. The water availability and use in a given year or
season will be affected by these changes. Therefore, in water resources management,
a management mechanism or system must be developed to address this issue. In
China, the planned water use system was established to manage water resources in
a specific year or season, adjusting to precipitation or runoff changes (Huang 2003).
Thus, differently from other volume-based systems applied on an annual average
basis, the planned water use system defines the actual water use in a year or season.
The planned water use system is implemented through a series of water resources
regulation, abstraction, and use plans. Article 49 of the 2002 Water Law stipulates
that water should be utilized according to an approved water use plan. According to
the water resources allocation framework, the planned water use plan system should
consist of an annual water resources regulation plan at the river basin and regional
level, an annual water abstraction plan at the water abstraction permits level, and an
annual/seasonal water use plan at the user or sector level.