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A Review of China’s Rural Water Management

Author

Listed:
  • Xiaoman Yu

    (Key Lab of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Yong Geng

    (Key Lab of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
    School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Peter Heck

    (Institute for Applied Material Flow Management, University of Applied Sciences Trier, Neubrücke 55768, Germany
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Bing Xue

    (Key Lab of Pollution Ecology and Environmental Engineering, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
    Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) Potsdam, Potsdam 14467, Germany)

Abstract

With less than 6% of total global water resources but one fifth of the global population, China is facing serious challenges for its water resources management, particularly in rural areas due to the long-standing urban-rural dualistic structure and the economic-centralized developmental policies. This paper addresses the key water crises in rural China including potable water supply, wastewater treatment and disposal, water for agricultural purposes, and environmental concerns, and then analyzes the administrative system on water resources from the perspective of characteristics of the current administrative system and regulations; finally, synthetic approaches to solve water problems in rural China are proposed with regard to institutional reform, regulation revision, economic instruments, technology innovation and capacity-building. These recommendations provide valuable insights to water managers in rural China so that they can identify the most appropriate pathways for optimizing their water resources, reducing the total wastewater discharge and improving their water-related ecosystem.

Suggested Citation

  • Xiaoman Yu & Yong Geng & Peter Heck & Bing Xue, 2015. "A Review of China’s Rural Water Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(5), pages 1-20, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:5:p:5773-5792:d:49343
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    Cited by:

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    2. Liu, Gengyuan & Du, Shupan & Gao, Yuan & Xiong, Xiaoping & Lombardi, Ginevra Virginia & Meng, Fanxin & Chen, Yu & Chen, Caocao, 2024. "A study on energy-water-food-carbon nexus in typical Chinese northern rural households," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    3. Jauda R. Jouda Hamad & Marlia M. Hanafiah & Wan Zuhairi W. Yaakob, 2017. "Water Resources Management In Libya: Challenges And Future Prospects," Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture (MJSA), Zibeline International Publishing, vol. 1(2), pages 2-5, October.

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