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From Water-Constrained to Water-Driven Sustainable Development—A Case of Water Policy Impact Evaluation

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  • Guangwei Huang

    (Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Sophia University, 7-1, Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan)

Abstract

A water allocation policy that aimed to balance water demand with water availability to ensure sustainability was implemented in an arid region of China over ten years ago. This policy’s success was assessed across three dimensions: society, the environment, and the economy. While the assessment was not intended to be comprehensive, it highlighted the best outcomes of the policy intervention while revealing some hidden issues. It was found that although the policy was successful in placing a ceiling on water use in the middle reaches of the Heihe River, the Water User Association, one of the main actors in water policy implementation, was under-recognized, even though it functioned well. Moreover, the economic structural adjustment at the macro level had not led to any significant reduction in water use, the reasons for which were explored.

Suggested Citation

  • Guangwei Huang, 2015. "From Water-Constrained to Water-Driven Sustainable Development—A Case of Water Policy Impact Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:7:p:8950-8964:d:52315
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Cai, Wenjuan & Jiang, Xiaohui & Sun, Haotian & Lei, Yuxin & Nie, Tong & Li, Lichan, 2023. "Spatial scale effect of irrigation efficiency paradox based on water accounting framework in Heihe River Basin, Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    2. Chao Bao & Dongmei He, 2015. "The Causal Relationship between Urbanization, Economic Growth and Water Use Change in Provincial China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Yi Liu & Peng Li & Zhiwei Zhang, 2018. "Resilient or Not: A Comparative Case Study of Ten Local Water Markets in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, November.
    4. Cai, Wenjuan & Jiang, Xiaohui & Sun, Haotian & He, Jiaying & Deng, Chun & Lei, Yuxin, 2022. "Temporal and spatial variation and driving factors of water consumption in the middle Heihe river basin before and after the implementation of the"97 water diversion scheme"," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    5. Zhenliang Yin & Qi Feng & Linshan Yang & Xiaohu Wen & Jianhua Si & Songbing Zou, 2017. "Long Term Quantification of Climate and Land Cover Change Impacts on Streamflow in an Alpine River Catchment, Northwestern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-17, July.
    6. Heng Yi Teah & Tomohiro Akiyama & Ricardo San Carlos & Orlando Vargas Rayo & Yu Ting Joanne Khew & Sijia Zhao & Lingfeng Zheng & Motoharu Onuki, 2016. "Assessment of Downscaling Planetary Boundaries to Semi-Arid Ecosystems with a Local Perception: A Case Study in the Middle Reaches of Heihe River," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-11, November.

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