Water Stress in China: Shortage and

PollutionCHEN Ying

Research Centre for Sustainable Development (RCSD)

Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS)

CASS-Nottingham Environmental Infrastructure Workshop, 22 – 24 June, 2005

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

1. Natural Endowment of Water Resources

2200

9600

19000

29100

45900

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

China US AUS RUS BRA

Total volume: 2.8Trillion m3

Per capita: 2200 m3

m3

¼ of world average

level

1.2 Uneven Distribution of Rainfall

Annual rainfall

Dry/Wet Regions

1.3 Frequent Occurrence of Natural Disasters

DroughtMain natural disaster in northern ChinaEven in southern China, some regions may be

suffered from drought in the driest months

Hunan ProvinceHainan Province

FloodIn 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

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

2.1 Water Use Pattern

117.7

63.1 8

343.3

Agr.

Ind.

Res.

Eco.

Total: 532 billion m3 Water Use in 2003

(64%)

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. m3

54.6 26.4 15.1 3.9

Scenario II: 663.5 b. m3

60.3 22.6 13.6 3.5

3. Unsustainable Water Utilization

Low efficiency of water useAgricultural 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 m3 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

3. Unsustainable Water Utilization

Water pollution

4.6%20.9%

16.3%

21.6%

8.7%

27.9%Grade I

Grade II

Grade III

Grade IV

Grade V

inferior Grade V

Water quality monitoring for 7 rivers in 2004

3. Unsustainable Water Utilization

Waste of waterLeakage of water supply pipes can be 5-10%,

some up to 15-17%;

Over-extracted underground waterCones of depressionsDry wellsSeawater intrusionsLand subsidence

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;

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

5. Potential Options to Promote Sustainable Development by

Improving Water Management

Water transfer?Waste water treatment?Water saving?

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 m3 by 2050, equivalent to the annual usable quantity of water resources of Yellow River;

13.4 billion m3 for Phase I to relieve water shortage in Beijing, Tianjin and cities in eastern Shandong Province;

High costs lead to high price

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 RiverInvested 79 million, Upstream of

Three Gorges

5.2 Waste Water Treatment

Despite some successful pilot projects, the use of treated water from wastewater treatment plant has been very limited;

Some Key Elements of Efficient Water

Management SystemPublic awarenessLegislationTechnologyEconomic incentivesIntegrated management

Water Pricing System Reform

Beijing planned to introduce progressive water prices but finally delayed to implement;

Public Hearing

Integrated management

Coordinating interests betweenAgricultural irrigation, industrial and

residential uses;Upstream and downstream;Surface and underground waterWater quantity and water quality

Seven “River Commissions”, as bureaus of the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) were sep up to take this responsibility.

Email: cycass@163bj.com