China’s Water Agenda 21: A Source of Inspiration for Water Management in Southeast Asia (SEA) Region

Various factors contribute to the shortcomings of water resources management practices in Southeast Asia (SEA) region over years (Figure 1).

Figure 1.Map of Countries in Southeast Asian region and China

There had been several government agencies and departments responsible for water resources development and management with a lack of coordination among them. However, recently several SEA countries have brought these entities under one umbrella, for example in Thailand and Viet Nam. In terms of legislation, there are enough laws to integrate various measures for protection and conservation of freshwater resources. But, poor enforcement is one of the main reasons for the present situation. Lessons from previous experiences reveal that various water problems in the SEA region were caused by an inadequate pricing, overlapping policies, and over-reliance on the government to provide water service delivery, as well as policy/legal/institutional failures. 

In recent years, a number of developing countries like PR China has made a remarkable progress towards developing sustainable water resources policies and strategies. It has gained initial experiences in the implementation of its Water Agenda 21, as reflected in the formulation of a comprehensive planning of water resources, the improvement of water laws and regulations, the conservation and protection of water resources, as well as the strengthening of infrastructure facilities. Although economic growth still remains the focus of China’s development goals, the existing environmental policies are a good beginning toward environmentally sustainable development. Environmental decline still outpaces sustainable development in the country, but with these initiatives, China may eventually reverse the present trend. 

China’s experience in the formulation and implementation of the Water Agenda 21 can help the SEA countries better formulate and implement their own sustainable water management policies (Figure 2-4). To successfully implement the national water policies, the most critical requirement needs to be undertaken is institutional development. The effectiveness of institutional development will determine how well China can overcome the challenges of water scarcity, water pollution, and flooding. In the past decades, a lack of coordination between water policy and management has been one of the main problems of the water sector in China. However, the situation has significantly improved after the institutional reform in 1998, in which the PR China's Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) was responsible for the management of water resources throughout China. Since then, the Water Agenda 21 has been undertaken in a participatory process at the national, regional, and district levels. As the government recognize that communities are at the heart of an effective water management and that they are the de facto resource managers and the protector of the environment, public participation in water management at all levels has been promoted and empowered as early as possible. 

Figure 2. Water management in Yangtze River

Figure 3. The Yellow River  for Water Supply in china

Figure 4. Tangible outputs from the Implementation of China's Water Agenda 21

Related Articles

• Featured Articles
• China’s Water Agenda 21: A Source of Inspiration for Water Management in Southeast Asia (SEA) Region
• Research Needs in Leachate Treatment for Remediation of Aquatic Environment
• Long-term Impact of Excessive Solid Waste Generation on the Environment
• Solid Waste as Low-Cost Materials for Heavy Metal Removal from Contaminated Wastewater
• Landfill Leachate: Growing Concerns to Aquatic Environment
• Nanomaterials: Small Things That Make Things Become Different
• Research Needs in Leachate Treatment for Remediation of Aquatic Environment
• Harnessing Landfill Gas (LFG) for Renewable Energy: A Way to Reduce Greenhouse Gases Emission and Global Warming