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Promote Sustainable Social and Economic Development
with Sustainable Utilization of Water Resources
By H.E. Mr. Wang Shucheng
Minister of Water Resources, People’s Republic of China
(22 March 2003, Kyoto)
Chairperson,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The issue of water is a global one. It is a pressing task faced by all countries to realize sustainable utilization of water resources and on this basis support and ensure sustainable social and economic development. The convening of this conference indicates that the international community is paying great attention to this issue. Allow me, on behalf of the Chinese delegation, to extend a warm congratulation on the convening of the conference! I would also like to express our sincere appreciation to the Government of Japan for its kind invitation and hospitality.
I am glad to take this opportunity to share with all colleagues my views on various issues, such as challenges facing China in the area of water resources, our strategy, countermeasures and progress of water management, and our propositions for international cooperation in this field.
1. Challenges Facing China in the Area of Water Resources
China is a country frequently visited by floods and drought with only 2200m3 per capita water resources. Influenced by the monsoon climate and terrain conditions, the distribution of water resources in China is very uneven in time and space. For the river systems north to the Yangtze (Changjiang) River, their river-basin area takes up 64% of the aggregate national land area, but only 19% of the aggregate national water resources. Therefore, drought and shortage of water have become major natural disasters in northern China. In most areas, precipitation of the four wettest months takes up about 70% of the annual rainfall, often resulting in flood disaster during the flood season. In China, construction of water works and elimination of water hazards have always been a major issue for governing the country and assuring its safety and security.
Since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, especially since the adoption of the policy of reform and opening to the outside world in 1978, China has achieved rapid economic development, overall social progress and gradual enhancement of urbanization. In general, people’s living standard has improved from simply having enough food and clothing to living a relatively well-off life. At present, China is striding towards the objective of building a well-off society on all fronts. Due to China’s social and economic development and the natural conditions, water resources are extremely important for China’s sustainable development. China mainly faces the following challenges with regard to water resources.
1.1. Frequent disasters of flooding and water-logging. During the 1990s, six out of 10 years witnessed major floods taking place in the main river basins. In some areas, flooding occurred every year. On average, there were seven typhoons landing on the mainland of China every year. Torrential rains also cause mudflow and landslide problems.
1.2. Severe shortage of water resources. On the basis of normal demand and non-excessive extraction of ground water, China’s annual shortage of water is 30-40 billion m3. Every year, 7-20 million ha of farmland suffers from drought. Of the 669 Chinese cities, 400 suffer from insufficient water supply with 100 in severe shortage of water. Shortage of water resources has become a heavy constraint on social and economic development in China, especially in northern China.
1.3. Severe soil erosion. At present, soil erosion takes place in an aggregate area of 3.56 million km2, or 37% of the total land area in China with the annual quantity of soil eroded reaching 5 billion tons. Severe soil erosion has led to land degradation, grazing land desertification, ecological deterioration, sedimentation in rivers and lakes and intensification of floods and water-logging in lower reaches of various rivers.
1.4. Water pollution not effectively controlled. According to the 2001 evaluation of water quality in China, of the total 121,000 km rivers evaluated, the length of Grade IV rivers takes up 14.2% while that of Grade V or inferior Grade V still occupies a proportion of 24.4%.
In addition, in the development of its water management, China still faces many other problems such as ineffective management system, lack of responsive mechanism in development and insufficient funding for construction. These are all important elements to be considered when attempting to solve problems related to China’s water resources.
2. Understanding of Water and Strategy of Water Management
China is a large and ancient country in terms of its magnitude and history of water resources development. Through several thousands of years’ practice in water management, China has accumulated rich experience in this regard. Over the years, in face with complicated issues related to water resources, we have carried out active exploration into sustainable utilization of water resources in accordance with the strategy and requirements of sustainable development. Consequently, we are able to deepen our understanding of water-related issues and have gradually formed and developed the guiding principle and strategy of water management in China.
We have realized that water is a basic natural resource and a fundamental element of the ecological environment. In water management, we insist upon following the rule of nature. While preventing water damage to mankind, special attention is paid to prevention of human damage to water. We stress the close relationship between the ecology and water. For river basins with severe ecological problems, we carry out restoring work by water saving, pollution control and water transfer. To protect wetlands, we supplement water to the wetlands in a planned manner. Where groundwater is excessively extracted, measures such as closing of wells and restriction on extraction have been adopted to protect groundwater. We also emphasize and give sufficient play to the self-rehabilitating capacity of nature. All these are aimed at protecting the ecological system and promoting harmonious coexistence between man and nature.
We have realized that water is a scarce resource as well as a strategic resource, and that, a region or a river basin has its limits to the carrying capacity of water resources and the water environment. In this regard, we insist upon promoting coordination between resource utilization and social and economic development, transforming from the traditional demand driven management to supply driven management. We stress and strengthen the allocation, conservation and protection of water resources, exert hard efforts to increase water use efficiency and benefits, enhance the carrying capacity of water resources and the water environment and build a water-saving society with maximum control of pollution.
We have realized that water has multiple functions - water supply, power generation, navigation, recreation, etc., and the issues of flood and water-logging, shortage of water resources, pollution of water quality and soil erosion are interrelated. Accordingly, in the course of water management, we insist upon overall planning, consideration of all related aspects, review of both symptoms and root causes, and integrated management. We also combine the promotion of benefits with elimination of hazards, give equal weight to developing new water sources and saving water, jointly carry out flood control and drought relief, integrate structural and non-structural measures,in order to fully realize the comprehensive functions of water.
We have realized that it is one of the basic rights of human beings as well as the foundation and guarantee of human health to access clean and safe drinking water. Therefore, we regard it as a major task to eliminate difficulty in accessing drinking water and to protect physical health of the whole nation. In the time of drought, priority is placed upon guaranteeing domestic water consumption of urban and rural residents. Over the recent five years, the central government has invested 6.9 billion yuan into the construction of a large group of works to facilitate accessibility of drinking water. Thanks to such efforts, drinking water is now available to 34.09 million rural population.
We have realized that water is a commodity and an economic resource of strategic importance and that water management is public welfare of critical importance to the national economy and people’s livelihood. Accordingly, we insist upon following economic rules in our practice and integrating government macro regulation with the market mechanism. Whereas efforts are made to fully realize the dominant role of public finance in water management, initiatives are also adopted to achieve market leverage in resource allocation. We explore for the establishment of a water-right system and a water market and continuously promote restructuring of the investment and financing mechanism for water management and reform of the water-price mechanism.
We have realized that the river basin is the basic unit of water resources; surface water and groundwater interchange; upper and lower reaches, left and right banks and mainstreams and tributaries influence each other in their development and utilization; water quantity and water quality are mutually dependent; and all aspects of water development and utilization are closely interrelated. Based upon such an understanding, we have made consistent efforts to promote uniform management, uniform planning and uniform scheduling of water resources, and to actively explore integrated management of surface water and groundwater, water quantity and water quality in urban and rural areas.
We have realized the universality and extensiveness of the water issue. Consequently, we reinforce publicity efforts to promote the awareness of water in the whole society. To mobilize motivations of all concerned, we encourage inter-sector and inter-jurisdiction stakeholders to participate in water management. Associations of farmers as water users have been set up in extensive irrigation areas to facilitate reform of the irrigation district management systems that is conducive to farmers’ participation in management. For rural drinking water works, beneficiary farm households organize themselves into cooperatives via democratic consultation to practice self-management. To ensure extensive participation of stakeholders in water management, the price hearing system is implemented in the water pricing process.
We have realized that the legal system provides assurance for water management and that scientific and technological progress plays a great promotional role in water management. We insist upon managing water in accordance with law. Water Law, Flood Control Law, Law on Prevention and Control of Water Pollution and Law on Water and Soil Conservation have been promulgated, giving rise to a fairly complete water legislative system that regulates various water-related activities. Keeping pace with scientific and technological progress, we have been able to continuously enhance of water resources development and management. With emphasis placed upon informatization of water management, we hope that the informatization process will facilitate and promote modernization of water management.
3. Major Progress
With long-time efforts in water development, China has formed a fairly complete system for mitigating water
disasters and securing water supply. Dikes at a total length of 270, 000 km have been constructed or reinforced, 85,000 reservoirs have been completed with annual water supply capacity reaching 580 billion m3. We have also developed effective irrigation by an area of 54.67 million ha, brought under control an aggregate soil-erosion area of 860,000 km2 and developed hydropower with installed capacity of 84,550 MW. Water development has played an enormous role in ensuring safety of drinking water, flood prevention, grain production, economic development, ecological improvement and environmental protection. China has managed to feed and clothe 22% of the world’s population with 6% of the world’s renewable water resources and 10% of the world’s arable land. In this process, water development has made indelible contribution.
Next, I will focus on issues of universal concern to the international community, covering post-disaster reconstruction along the Yangtze River, drying-up of the Yellow River, the South-to-North Water Transfer Project and water management related to development of China’s western region.
3.1. Post-disaster reconstruction along the Yangtze River.
The Yangtze River is the largest river in China taking the first place in catchment area, river length, and water quantity. In 1998, extraordinary severe floods occurred in the Yangtze River basin resulting in heavy losses of life and property in the victim areas. The lessons learned from the disaster prompted us to construct flood-control systems for rivers with a new strategy that is oriented towards harmonious coexistence between man and nature. In other words, we shall not only control floods, but also provide a way out for floods, and gradually transform from endless disorderly struggle for land between man and water to orderly and sustainable harmony between man and flood. To this end, since 1998, the Chinese government has made cumulative investment of tens of billions of RMB into large-scale construction of an integrated Yangtze River flood-control system in addition to the construction of the Three Gorges Project. While focusing on reinforcement of dikes and controlling works, active efforts have been exerted to return farmland to recover water bodies, return farmland to recover forest, dredge rivers and lakes, resettle those affected into newly-built townships. With more than four years’ efforts, mainstream dikes stretching over several thousand kilometers at the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River have reached the standards of flood control, which has formed a solid “Great Wall on Water”. In the course of returning farmland to recover lakes and rivers, we resettled the 2.42 million affected population to nearby places, recovered water area by 2900 km2 and increased flood storage capacity by 13 billion m3. It was the first time in history for China to take the initiative of returning farmland to recover rivers and lakes on a large scale, thereby providing a way out for floods, which is a reverse of the centuries-old practice of reclaiming lakes for more farmland, i.e. man fighting for land with water. Consequently, when severe flood took place in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and the Dongting Lake area in 2002, both the river and the lake were safe and sound.
3.2. Drying-up of the Yellow River
The Yellow River is the origin of the Chinese Nation and the Mother River of China. Due to large-scale development and utilization of water resources along the river, the conflict between water supply and demand along the river has been intensified since the 1990s. Meanwhile, the lower reaches of the Yellow River tended to dry up more frequently. It was the worst in 1997 when the Yellow River did not reach the sea for 226 days. Such harsh facts pushed us to the gradual understanding that it is imperative to enforce integrated management of water resources, and coordinate the relationship between domestic, production and ecological uses of water. Since March 1999, China has practiced uniform allocation and scheduling of water resources in the entire Yellow River basin. This plus planned water consumption and water savings has kept the Yellow River free from drying up for three successive years despite of severe drought. As a result, the domestic and production consumption of water for urban and rural residents is basically guaranteed, with remarkable improvement of ecosystem in the lower reaches.
3.3. South-to-North Water Transfer Project
Southern China is abundant in water while northern China is short of water. The South-to-North Water Transfer Project is an important infrastructure aimed at promoting optimum allocation of water resources nationwide. It is also a strategic initiative to relax shortage of water resources and ecological deterioration in northern China. We have carried out thorough, in-depth and scientific study of issues related to the project according to the principle of “water saving before water transfer, pollution control before water delivery and environmental protection before water consumption”. The project will transfer water from the lower, middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, forming three routes of water transfer, namely the East Route, the Middle Route, and the West Route. Connecting the four major rivers ----the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, the Huai River and the Hai River, the project will form an overall pattern of water resource allocation characterized by “four latitudinal rivers and three longitudinal rivers”, making it easier to allocate water across the country. The project is planned to complete by 2050 with aggregate quantity of water transfer reaching 44.8 billion m3, equivalent to the annual usable quantity of water resources along the Yellow River. Completion of the East Route and the Middle Route (Phase I) will increase water supply by 13.4 billion m3 to the recipient regions in northern China, thus relieving water shortage in Beijing and Tianjin and cities in eastern Shandong Province. The construction of the project has been officially launched.
3.4. Water management related to development of China’s western region
In 1999, China began to implement its strategy of developing the western region. The west region is short in water resources and vulnerable in ecological environment. Water is the foundation and key to development of the western region. Over the recent years, the Chinese government has accelerated its construction of water infrastructure with focus placed upon the development of ecological systems and environmental protection works. Relevant measures are put into practice on a large scale, such as returning farmland to recover forest and grassland, enclosing mountains to cultivate forest, practicing rotation grazing and fallows, prohibiting over-grazing, etc. Protection of ecological systems and the environment has been strengthened. For example, the Project for Integrated Management of the Tarim River Basin and the Heihe River Basin was launched to transfer and divert water to the lower reaches that are deteriorating in ecological environment. The Tarim River, the largest inland river in China, gets water again after more than 20 years of drying-up in its 363 km-long lower channel, bringing life to the dying vegetation of the desert. The Green Corridor regained its vitality. Remarkable improvement was also achieved of the ecology in the lower reach of Heihe River, the second largest inland river of the country.
Despite such impressive achievement in the field of water resources, China still has a long way to go for fundamental solution of water-related problems. We will carry forward the effective and feasible experience and practices, continue the implementation of existing plans and programs and persistently promote sustainable utilization of water resources. As such, we will make our due contribution to the solution of China’s water-related problems for a better homeland.
4. International Cooperation in the Field of Water Resources
The Chinese government attaches great importance to international cooperation and exchanges in the field of water resources. At present, in the area of water management China has established various types of technical exchange and economic cooperation relationship with more than 60 countries and regions all over the world. Such exchange and cooperation have been very fruitful. In the future, we will pay greater attention to exchange and cooperation with countries all over the world and relevant international organizations. For international cooperation and exchanges in the field of water resources, China would like to put forward the following propositions:
4.1. Solution of problems related to water resources should be closely related to social and economic development, eradication of poverty, and improvement of the environment. In many developing countries, drought and shortage of water have already become a major cause of poverty and ecological deterioration. On the other hand, economic development is the foundation and precondition for eradicating poverty and solving problems related to water resources. Therefore, it is imperative to integrate economic development and poverty eradication with environmental and resource protection so as to solve the problems in the course of social and economic development.
4.2. The developed countries should give full play to their economic and technical advantages and exert real efforts to help the developing countries solve problems related to water resources. The former should also pay attention to capacity building of developing countries in the field of water resources. Sustainable development is a common responsibility shared by all nations. In this regard, developed countries and developing countries have common but differentiated responsibilities. Sustainable utilization of water resources is a basis for sustainable development. Therefore, the developed countries should exert real efforts to help solve problems that are universal to the developing countries, such as shortage of funds and technological disadvantage, and thereby facilitate solution of problems related to water resources. On the other hand, developing countries should take the initiative to promote their own development in accordance with requirements of sustainable development.
4.3. International rules in the field of water resources should be formulated through consultation among nations on the basis of equality and incorporating wills and interests of all nations. International cooperation and global actions should fully respect the national sovereignty and self-determination for development. All nations should, in accordance with their own national situation and existing conditions, adopt active measures to rationally develop and utilize water resources, protect the eco-system and the environment, and promote coordination between economic development and environmental protection. In the meantime, all countries should refrain from exerting negative impact on the environment of other countries while developing their own economies.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Problems related to water resources are common to mankind. To solve these problems requires our long-term hard efforts. The most important thing at present is to take immediate action and carry out sincere cooperation among us so that we will jointly create a better future for the world.
Thank you. |
