River chief system as a collaborative water governance approach in China

Despite the various water management explorations in China over the past three decades, China’s water problems remain challenging. Recently the Chinese government introduced the river chief system, a collaborative water governance approach, as an update to the previous water management system. We analyze this reform by establishing an analytical framework based on collaborative governance theory. The analysis argues that the institutional context and motivations are the external conditions influencing the collaborative governance regime and thus the outcomes of the river chief system. We conclude that the system provides effective water management tackling collaborative issues in the Chinese context, but its long-term effects and sustainability remain to be determined.