China S Agricultural Water Policy Reforms

This book explores water resources management issues in China and possible solutions. It analyzes a wide range of general and specific topics, providing case studies and a balanced review of the past and present situation as well as future developments. The book begins with a general introduction and an overview of hydrology, water resources, and development issues in China. It then presents a management framework, including a management system, management institutions, river basin management, water pricing, water rights, and groundwater management, and discusses its implementation, covering water resources allocation and regulation in the Yellow River, integrated water affair management reforms, and agricultural water management in northern China. The last section focuses on the current reforms and hot topics, with strong emphasis on stringent water resource strategies applied to the river and lake principle system, recycled water use and water resources asset management, as well as climate change impacts, and concludes with a summary of the many changes in the water sector in China and a look at the road ahead and the areas that still need to be reformed.

Managing Water on China's Farms: Institutions, Policies and the Transformation of Irrigation under Scarcity is a comprehensive and current look at the water shortage problems in China. While China has emerged as a major player in the world economy, water is the most critical factor that limits the country’s further growth. China’s growing water problems also have a large impact worldwide, with public health as well as economic impacts. If China were to rely heavily on food produced outside of China, the massive volume of food imports would raise food prices internationally. This book examines a series of water issues, beginning with a description of the water shortage problems in China, particularly in the northern part of the country. It then looks at the government and farmers' responses and whether past policies have been effective in resolving the water problems. Managing Water on China’s Farms documents the change of existing and new water management institutional forms over time and across provinces throughout northern China, and then assesses the impacts of these changes in the rural sector. Finally, it examines potential solutions that the research has uncovered, answering the question: Who can build the bridge over China’s troubled waters? Using analyses from information collected firsthand in China’s rural villages, the series of surveys covers diverse geographic regions that are representative of north China and includes perspectives from multiple stakeholders such as village leaders, water managers, and farmers. The policy-oriented research and rich analysis in this book make it of interest to both policy makers and researchers with a focus on China water problems. This book can also be used in a Master or Ph.D. level resource economics course. Uses case studies including problem, factors, proposed solutions, and pros and cons of each to facilitate translational learning and application Uses analyses of firsthand data collected from sources of irrigation water, irrigation systems, and water users Covers governance and operation and maintenance (O and M) practices Provides an informative, quantitative, and rigorous analysis of survey results Provides practical and valuable data, including the detailed micro-level data that enables estimating strategies

China has the world's largest population but very limited supplies of water. This conference proceedings examines how China can best used its limited water resources in agriculture.

Edited by the Water Policy Research Center of the Environment Department of Tsinghua University, this comprehensive report on the Chinese water sector is a collection of findings from recent research conducted by the Center and government consultancy reports. The report presents an overview and analysis of the current situation of the reform of the Chinese urban water sector. This is followed by case studies and appraisals on 17 water industry reform measures collected by the authors in 14 cities. The report then examines key problems of the current water industry reform. The comprehensive scope of this report, the level of detail, as well as the authors’ insights together make this document a unique reference on China’s water industry, as well as an important guide to the future of China’s water management. The book will be extremely useful for public utility reform in China and in other countries. It will therefore be of particular value to government departments, policy advisors, consultants, financing bodies, and utility service providers. The report is part of the Water21 Market Briefing Series. Titles in the series provide more focused insight into aspects of the international water sector. About the authors: Dr Tao FU is Director of the Water Policy Research Center, Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China. Dr Miao CHANG is Senior Research Fellow at the Water Policy Research Center, Tsinghua University. Dr Lijin ZHONG is with the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University.

China’s leaders face the daunting challenge of feeding the world’s largest population with limited resources. China’s per capita endowment of arable land is low and water scarcity is of particular concern. Not only is China’s endowment of water resources extremely low, but it is also badly distributed, with the North China Plain having one of the lowest per capita endowments in the world. The serious water shortage, particularly in the north of China, is exacerbated by poor efficiency in its use and contradictions in the way water is allocated, distributed and managed. Water pollution is contributing to water shortages as well as increasing the cost of provision of water for agriculture. Since agriculture is the main consumer of water and one of the main users of land resources, China’s future development critically depends on initiatives that will raise the efficiency and efficacy of the use of these resources. In June 2006, the OECD and the Chinese Government invited specialists and experts with a wide range of expertise to address these issues and to provide answers to the following questions: How can balance be achieved between the objectives of expanding food production, raising rural welfare, opening up the domestic market to international trade and protecting the environment? How might policy measures be changed or shifted towards market-based policy instruments to ensure that polluters pay and providers of environmental benefits are rewarded? What would be the best policy mix in China combining taxes and payments, regulations, and voluntary and stakeholder participation in watershed and land resource management to further environmental and social objectives, and long term sustainability? These questions and issues were debated on the basis of the papers reproduced in this publication. They offer the reader timely analytical and policy thinking by a number of highly regarded experts on China’s agri-environmental issues and policies.

This book explores water resources management issues in China and possible solutions. It analyzes a wide range of general and specific topics, providing case studies and a balanced review of the past and present situation as well as future developments. The book begins with a general introduction and an overview of hydrology, water resources, and development issues in China. It then presents a management framework, including a management system, management institutions, river basin management, water pricing, water rights, and groundwater management, and discusses its implementation, covering water resources allocation and regulation in the Yellow River, integrated water affair management reforms, and agricultural water management in northern China. The last section focuses on the current reforms and hot topics, with strong emphasis on stringent water resource strategies applied to the river and lake principle system, recycled water use and water resources asset management, as well as climate change impacts, and concludes with a summary of the many changes in the water sector in China and a look at the road ahead and the areas that still need to be reformed.