3.4 MWR During Mar. 1988–Mar. 2018: From Construction …
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• Supporting national comprehensive departments to formulate and organize implementation of water-related economic regulation policies, including financial,
pricing, taxation, and loan policies.
• Conducting sector management of hydrological works.
• Conducting sector management of water infrastructure construction; organizing
the construction and management of key and inter-province water projects; and
conducting sector management of water infrastructure, comprehensive operations
and reservoir resettlement.
During 1993–1998, the key functions of the MWR did not change significantly from those of 1988–1993. It became increasingly clear that the MWR had
been reformed into an administrative and management department, rather than a
construction agency.
3.4.3 MWR During March 1998–March 2003 and March
2003–March 2008
In March 1998, the first session of the ninth NPC decided to establish the MWR as
the organ of the State Council responsible for water administration. In this largescale governmental restructuring, the functions removed from the MWR included
hydropower construction, which was transferred to the National Economic and Trade
Commission, and biomethods including tree and grass planting to prevent water and
soil erosion in forest-suitable regions. The functions incorporated into the MWR
included groundwater management, which was transferred from the Geological
and Mineral Ministry (the former MLR and MNR), and mineral and geothermal
water development, which now only required an application for a water abstraction
permit rather than a mining permit. Finally, responsibilities for guiding urban flood
control and groundwater management and protection in urban planning zones were
transferred from the Ministry of Construction. Accordingly, the 1998 governmental
restructuring of the MWR was considered to have realized the institutionally unified
management of water resources. Additionally, in terms of water resources protection,
the MWR was required to report water resources protection data to the SEPA.
The functions of the MWR therefore included the following (Office of the State
Council 1998):
• Formulating water-related policies, development strategies, and medium- and
long-term development plans; drafting water-related regulations and supervising
their implementation.
• Implementing integrated management of water resources, including atmospheric
water, surface water, and groundwater; organizing the formulation and supervising the implementation of national and inter-province long-term water supply
and demand planning, as well as water resources allocation planning; organizing water resources and flood-control impact assessment for socio-economic
69
• Supporting national comprehensive departments to formulate and organize implementation of water-related economic regulation policies, including financial,
pricing, taxation, and loan policies.
• Conducting sector management of hydrological works.
• Conducting sector management of water infrastructure construction; organizing
the construction and management of key and inter-province water projects; and
conducting sector management of water infrastructure, comprehensive operations
and reservoir resettlement.
During 1993–1998, the key functions of the MWR did not change significantly from those of 1988–1993. It became increasingly clear that the MWR had
been reformed into an administrative and management department, rather than a
construction agency.
3.4.3 MWR During March 1998–March 2003 and March
2003–March 2008
In March 1998, the first session of the ninth NPC decided to establish the MWR as
the organ of the State Council responsible for water administration. In this largescale governmental restructuring, the functions removed from the MWR included
hydropower construction, which was transferred to the National Economic and Trade
Commission, and biomethods including tree and grass planting to prevent water and
soil erosion in forest-suitable regions. The functions incorporated into the MWR
included groundwater management, which was transferred from the Geological
and Mineral Ministry (the former MLR and MNR), and mineral and geothermal
water development, which now only required an application for a water abstraction
permit rather than a mining permit. Finally, responsibilities for guiding urban flood
control and groundwater management and protection in urban planning zones were
transferred from the Ministry of Construction. Accordingly, the 1998 governmental
restructuring of the MWR was considered to have realized the institutionally unified
management of water resources. Additionally, in terms of water resources protection,
the MWR was required to report water resources protection data to the SEPA.
The functions of the MWR therefore included the following (Office of the State
Council 1998):
• Formulating water-related policies, development strategies, and medium- and
long-term development plans; drafting water-related regulations and supervising
their implementation.
• Implementing integrated management of water resources, including atmospheric
water, surface water, and groundwater; organizing the formulation and supervising the implementation of national and inter-province long-term water supply
and demand planning, as well as water resources allocation planning; organizing water resources and flood-control impact assessment for socio-economic