China Faces Water Crisis
BEIJING, China, January 15, 2009 (ENS)
Eight water conservation and control projects along China's longest
river, the Yangtze, will be underway by 2011 to improve water use and
protect the environment, a water conservation official said Tuesday.
Cai Qihua, director of the Yangtze Water Resources Commission, announced the
projects during the commission's annual work meeting in Wuhan, the official
state news agency Xinhua reports.
The largest river in Asia, the Yangtze originates on the Tibetan Plateau and
flows to the East China Sea near Shanghai.
Bridges across the Yangtze River at Wanzhou City were built to surmount
rising water levels upstream of the Three Gorges Dam. Riverbank erosion is a
problem. (Photo by Ray Devlin)
Not all of the conservation projects are new, some are already in progress,
Cai said. They include strengthening embankments on the middle and lower
reaches of the river, building flood control projects at major tributaries
and lakes, and "controlling minor rivers and mountain torrents that pose
threats to life."
Other planned projects include reservoir and flood-control facilities and
hydropower plants. One of the two dams on the river, the Three Gorges Dam,
is the largest hydroelectric power station in the world. A third dam is
under construction and half a dozen more are in various stages of planning.
Cai said soil erosion prevention schemes, water-quality monitoring networks
and environmental protection facilities are also in the works.
The Yangtze water conservation projects are needed but they will not be
enough to address a stern warning from the World Bank this week that China
is facing a "severe water-shortage crisis."
A World Bank report published Monday says China needs to carry out
widespread reforms to tackle the crisis.
The study says water shortages have been created in part by increased demand
for water due to industrialization and population growth, as well as by
pollution reducing the amount of available clean water.
The village that depends on this drying well is short of water. (Photo by
Gin-e)
Written in response to requests from Chinese government agencies, the report
commends China's leadership for its awareness of the worsening water
situation, and its commitment to transforming China into a water-saving
society.
"The objective of this report is to provide an overview of China’s water
scarcity situation, assess the policy and institutional requirements for
addressing it, and recommend key areas for strengthening and reform," said
James Adams, World Bank vice president, East Asia and Pacific Region.
The report, "Addressing China's Water Scarcity: From Analysis to Action," is
based on studies bank personnel carried out from 2006 through 2008.
Based on government priorities, the report focuses on water governance,
water rights, water pricing and affordability, watershed ecological
compensation mechanisms, water pollution control, and emergency prevention.
The report recommends that China needs to move from a traditional water
management system with the government as the main decision-maker towards a
modern approach to water governance that relies on a sound legal framework,
effective institutional arrangements, transparent decision making and
information disclosure, and active public participation.
"Some of the recommendations, such as the reforms of river basin commissions
and the water resource fee management as well as water quality monitoring
and disclosure, may not be in line with sectoral or local interests but we
believe that they are essential for the nation to effectively address the
emerging water scarcity crisis." says Jian Xie, World Bank senior
environmental specialist and the report's principal author.
Dust storm at the Wuwei Oasis, Hexi Corridor, Gansu (Photo by Powerdogg)
To allow greater scope for market-based approaches, China needs to establish
clear property rights for water, the report advises.
Basin-level water resource allocation plans that give "first priority to
ecological needs" should be developed and traditional water allocation
entitlements should be converted into tradable water rights, according to
the report.
To provide incentives for water saving technologies and behaviors, "water
prices need to be allowed to rise to reflect its full scarcity value," the
bank's report states.
"The first step is for water and sewerage prices to at least cover the
financial needs of the water supply and sewerage enterprises," it states.
"The social impact of the price increases, especially those affecting the
poor, can be addressed by implementing an increasing block tariff approach
and other social protection measures for residential consumers."
"There is no doubt that China is facing a major challenge in managing its
scarce water resources to sustain economic growth in the years ahead," said
David Dollar, World Bank country director for China.
"But there are grounds for optimism," he said. "The Chinese, who have
demonstrated immense innovative capacity in their successful program of
economic reform, can and should take another bold move in reforming the
institutional and policy framework to make it become a world leader in water
resource management."
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