1. Water Stress in China: Shortage and Pollution CHEN Ying Research Centre for Sustainable Development (RCSD) Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) CASS-Nottingham Environmental Infrastructure Workshop, 22 – 24 June, 2005

2. Content Natural Endowment of Water Resources Increasing Demand for Water Resources Driven by Industrialization and Urbanization Unsustainable Water Utilization Overall Objectives of Water Management Potential Options to Promote Sustainable Development by Improving Water Management

3. 1. Natural Endowment of Water Resources Total volume: 2.8Trillion m 3 Per capita: 2200 m 3 m3m3 ¼ of world average level

4. 1.2 Uneven Distribution of Rainfall Annual rainfall Dry/Wet Regions

5. 1.3 Frequent Occurrence of Natural Disasters Drought  Main natural disaster in northern China  Even in southern China, some regions may be suffered from drought in the driest months Hunan ProvinceHainan Province

6. Flood  In most areas, precipitation of the four wettest months take up about 70% of the annual total, often resulting in flooding. 2005-6-11 2001 1999

7. 1.4 Severe Soil Erosion Soil Erosion takes place in an area of 3.56million km2, about 37% of the total land area in China Annual quantity of soil eroded reaches 5 billion tons. Upstream of Yellow River across Hexi Corridor

8. 2.1 Water Use Pattern Total: 532 billion m 3 Water Use in 2003 (64%)

9. 2. Increasing Demand for Water Resources Driven by Industrialization and Urbanization During 1952-2002:  GDP increased 40 times, GDP per capita up 17 times;  Water use increased 4.3 times, water use per capita 1.3 times higher; Water demand projections for 2020: Agr.%Ind. %Res. %Eco. % Scenario I: 595.5 b. m 3 54.626.415.13.9 Scenario II: 663.5 b. m 3 60.322.613.63.5

10. 3. Unsustainable Water Utilization Low efficiency of water use  Agricultural irrigation: water use co- efficiency is only 0.4-0.5 in China comparing to 0.7-0.8 in developed countries;  Industry: 24.1 m 3 water /1000 RMB industrial production, about 5-10 times that in developed countries; water consumption per ton steel produced 4-6 times higher than developed countries

11. 3. Unsustainable Water Utilization Water pollution Water quality monitoring for 7 rivers in 2004

12. 3. Unsustainable Water Utilization Waste of water  Leakage of water supply pipes can be 5-10%, some up to 15-17%; Over-extracted underground water  Cones of depressions  Dry wells  Seawater intrusions  Land subsidence

13. 4. Overall Objectives of Water Management To guarantee access to safety drinking water for human health;  Water supply under threats in urban area;  360 million people in rural area lack of safety drinking water, 190 million people suffer from drinking water harmful to their health;

14. 4. Overall Objectives of Water Management To mitigate disasters of drought and flood To guarantee food security; To promote economic development; To protect ecological environment;  Yellow River going dry

15. 5. Potential Options to Promote Sustainable Development by Improving Water Management Water transfer? Waste water treatment? Water saving?

16. 5.1 South-to-North Water Transfer Project Three routes (east, middle and west) connecting four major rivers to form a new pattern of water resource allocation (4 latitudinal and 3 longitudinal); 44.8 billion m 3 by 2050, equivalent to the annual usable quantity of water resources of Yellow River; 13.4 billion m 3 for Phase I to relieve water shortage in Beijing, Tianjin and cities in eastern Shandong Province; High costs lead to high price

17. 5.2 Waste Water Treatment Among water pollution control projects of main river basins in the tenth “Five-year-plan”, only 32% finished, 28% under construction and 40% not started; Some newly built waste water treatment facilities rarely operate; Wei River Invested 79 million, Upstream of Three Gorges

18. 5.2 Waste Water Treatment Despite some successful pilot projects, the use of treated water from wastewater treatment plant has been very limited;

19. Some Key Elements of Efficient Water Management System Public awareness Legislation Technology Economic incentives Integrated management

20. Water Pricing System Reform Beijing planned to introduce progressive water prices but finally delayed to implement; Public Hearing

21. Integrated management Coordinating interests between  Agricultural irrigation, industrial and residential uses;  Upstream and downstream;  Surface and underground water  Water quantity and water quality Seven “River Commissions”, as bureaus of the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) were sep up to take this responsibility.

22. Email: cycass@163bj.comcycass@163bj.com