Preface
Since opening its gates to the world in the late 1970s, China has remained at the
center of the international stage. In almost every aspect, the development of China has
impressed the world, not only the social-economic development within the country,
but in its involvement in international affairs. In the past 40 years, China has developed
from a low-income entity to a middle-income economy that includes some highly
developed regions.
The development and management of water resources in China reflects these
broader changes. Pushed by the rapid socio-economic progress, as well as structural
changes in the economy and society, water resources development and use in China
experienced a rapid increase in water consumption. That growth has now peaked
and is being managed with the introduction of caps limiting further exploitation.
The management has now shifted to improving the efficiency and quality of both the
water resources and sector that manages it. Following this process and in pursuit of
state-mandated targets, since the early 1980s, China has progressively established
an advanced and comprehensive water resources management framework, promoted
institutional reform within the water resources sector, and introduced a range of new
management systems, all in an effort to respond to the limited water resources of the
country and a range of complicated and evolving water issues and demands.
China faces a variety of water issues. On the one hand, traditional water problems,
such as water supply, flood control, and response to drought, remain at the center of
decision-making, as is the case this year. On the other hand, emerging issues, such as
demand management, pollution controls, and the efficient allocation of the available
supplies, have an increasing significance. Moreover, these problems have become
more complicated by the rapid social and economic transition. Therefore, water issues
and policies in China span the full spectrum of global water challenges, ranging
from those relevant to a developing economy to those faced by developed ones, from
managing water quantity to managing water quality, from supply to demand, and
from resource development to its management.
On this basis, this book aims to present the breadth of water resources issues
facing China together with a suite of solutions. With this objective in mind, a wide
range of general and specific water resources management topics and case studies in
China are analyzed, which involves a balanced review of the past, the present state,
v
Since opening its gates to the world in the late 1970s, China has remained at the
center of the international stage. In almost every aspect, the development of China has
impressed the world, not only the social-economic development within the country,
but in its involvement in international affairs. In the past 40 years, China has developed
from a low-income entity to a middle-income economy that includes some highly
developed regions.
The development and management of water resources in China reflects these
broader changes. Pushed by the rapid socio-economic progress, as well as structural
changes in the economy and society, water resources development and use in China
experienced a rapid increase in water consumption. That growth has now peaked
and is being managed with the introduction of caps limiting further exploitation.
The management has now shifted to improving the efficiency and quality of both the
water resources and sector that manages it. Following this process and in pursuit of
state-mandated targets, since the early 1980s, China has progressively established
an advanced and comprehensive water resources management framework, promoted
institutional reform within the water resources sector, and introduced a range of new
management systems, all in an effort to respond to the limited water resources of the
country and a range of complicated and evolving water issues and demands.
China faces a variety of water issues. On the one hand, traditional water problems,
such as water supply, flood control, and response to drought, remain at the center of
decision-making, as is the case this year. On the other hand, emerging issues, such as
demand management, pollution controls, and the efficient allocation of the available
supplies, have an increasing significance. Moreover, these problems have become
more complicated by the rapid social and economic transition. Therefore, water issues
and policies in China span the full spectrum of global water challenges, ranging
from those relevant to a developing economy to those faced by developed ones, from
managing water quantity to managing water quality, from supply to demand, and
from resource development to its management.
On this basis, this book aims to present the breadth of water resources issues
facing China together with a suite of solutions. With this objective in mind, a wide
range of general and specific water resources management topics and case studies in
China are analyzed, which involves a balanced review of the past, the present state,
v