Measures to address the imbalance between supply and demand

China’s first national water-saving regulations came into force on May 1, setting out more detailed measures and stringent water-saving requirements.

Zhang Linwei, head of the China Municipal Water Association, said the introduction of the regulations is a practical necessity to address the imbalance between the supply and demand of urban water resources in China, and thus further promote the conservation and sustainable use of water resources.

Cities are the main centers of China’s economy and population. Last year, China’s urbanization rate exceeded 66 percent, further highlighting the contradiction between water supply and demand, he said.

“Water conservation is essential to adapt to the national water resources situation, overcome bottlenecks, solve complex water problems and ensure the country’s water security. It is also a key step towards realizing urban ecological civilization and sustainable urban development,” he said.

The regulations provide legal certainty for urban water conservation efforts, continuing to promote the institutionalization and standardization of urban water conservation work, he said.

In recent years, various regions and departments have introduced a number of management policies and made regular efforts to protect urban waters. However, there are still problems with the adequacy of higher-level legislation and the completeness of the urban water protection policy system, which indicates a discrepancy between the current situation and the requirement for both the construction of an urban ecological civilization and overall high-quality development.

Wang Jianhua, deputy director of the China Water Resources and Hydropower Research Institute, said the regulations prioritized water conservation at the administrative level and integrated water conservation management requirements throughout the water use process. It was also suggested to implement comprehensive water-saving measures in all areas, with great emphasis on the development of water-saving industries.

Wang noted that the regulations proposed a rigid system for limiting water resources, treating the carrying capacity of water resources as the basic limit for national and regional development. Thanks to this, socio-economic development will be supported with the assumption of sustainable use of water resources.

“This water resource-led development model requires all levels of government and water users to strictly adhere to water resource capacity constraints during planning, construction and production, promoting the rational allocation and efficient use of water resources,” he said. .

Saving water involves all sectors of society, including government, businesses and society, and requires the active participation of every person and organization. The regulations will effectively guide and promote a positive social environment for water conservation, he said.