Efforts to save water have been intensified

Under a series of newly adopted regulations, China has further intensified policy incentives and restrictions to continuously promote water conservation and increase water use efficiency in various sectors.

The State Council, China’s cabinet, recently issued the first national-level water conservation regulations, which took effect on May 1, aimed at shifting from extensive practices to efficient and intensive water use.

The regulations, consisting of six chapters and 52 articles, introduced a rigid system for limiting water resources and created a water conservation mechanism led by the government in cooperation with the public, market regulators and various parties.

The regulations require better management of water use, the development of water-saving agriculture, the adoption of appropriate water-saving technologies and strengthened guarantees through subsidies, incentive mechanisms and oversight in the evaluation of water-saving policies.

Zhang Yaobo, director of the Fourth Legislative Bureau of the Ministry of Justice, emphasized that the regulations are aimed at promoting water conservation throughout society, ensuring national water security, realizing the nation’s goals of establishing an ecological civilization and stimulating high-quality development.

“The main purpose of the regulations is to strengthen rigid restrictions on water resources, ensuring that the population and development of urban and industrial areas adapt to the capacity of water resources,” Zhang said.

The regulations also aim to build a scientifically sound and comprehensive water-saving institutional system in line with existing laws such as the Water Law, the Yangtze River Protection Law and the Yellow River Protection Law, so as to create synergy for water conservation, he said.

Progress has been made

Li Liangsheng, vice minister of water resources, noted that China faces a fundamental challenge of water scarcity due to its large population and uneven distribution of water resources. Although China ranks sixth in the world in terms of total water resources, its per capita water resources are only 35 percent of the global average, and nearly two-thirds of China’s cities experience water shortages. The primary solution to this shortage is water conservation.

Although China’s GDP last year was twice that of 2014, China’s total water consumption remained stable at about 610 billion cubic meters. Also last year, water consumption per unit of GDP and per unit of industrial value added decreased by 41.7%, respectively. and 55.1 percent compared to 2014.

However, challenges remain, including inefficient and wasteful water use and the need to improve water management, conservation measures, incentive policies and supervision, Li said.

In 2019, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Water Resources issued the National Action Plan for Water Protection, which set control targets for national water consumption, water consumption per unit of GDP and water consumption per unit of industrial value added for 2022. with long-term goals for 2035. The goals were achieved by 2022.

“Progress has been made in saving water and reducing losses in agriculture, industry and cities. For example, the water reuse rate of industries above the designated amount has reached over 93 percent,” Li said.

The Ministry of Water Resources, in cooperation with 20 other departments, has established an inter-ministerial water conservation coordination mechanism, implemented and improved water-saving tax incentive policies, and encouraged financial institutions to support water-saving projects, he said.

Urban use

Hu Zijian, director of the urban construction department of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, noted significant achievements in promoting water-saving cities and improving urban water use efficiency. A number of systems have been formulated, including urban water conservation planning, planned water consumption, quota management and water conservation statistics.

A total of 145 national water-saving cities were established to promote the reuse of municipal wastewater, and pilot projects on the use of reclaimed water were carried out in 116 cities, with a reuse rate of 29%.

In addition, since 2015, the construction of “sponge cities” has been promoted in 90 cities, which emphasizes flood management using green infrastructure, and not just drainage systems, which allows for the natural purification of rainwater and increases the use of local rainwater resources, he added.

Hu noted that many water-stressed cities have now used reclaimed water as a key secondary water source. In addition to the regulations on municipal wastewater disposal and treatment issued in 2013, the new regulations also include provisions on wastewater reuse, providing legal support for the development of wastewater reuse.

Industrial development

Niu Bo, an NDRC official, said the commission continuously promotes efficient and intensive use of water resources.

Last September, the NDRC and many departments issued “Opinions on Further Strengthening the Conservation and Intensive Use of Water Resources”, which outlined measures to improve water conservation in agriculture, industry, urban areas and ecological landscapes, promoting the use of non-conventional water energy sources and development of water-saving industries.

The industry focuses on producing water conservation products, researching water-saving technologies, modifying conservation processes and providing water conservation consulting services. The NDRC is studying and formulating guidelines to accelerate the development of water-saving industries, he said.

Additionally, the NDRC considers the use of non-conventional water sources to be an important means of both conserving and enhancing water resources. Together with relevant departments, the NDRC has issued policies and guidelines to promote the efficient use of wastewater, seawater desalination, and mine water conservation and utilization.

The NDRC, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and the Ministry of Water Resources are organizing a three-year action plan to increase the use of reclaimed water in key cities, which aims to gradually increase the use of reclaimed water.

“We will also support the ongoing large-scale equipment upgrade and consumer goods exchange program, encouraging equipment replacement in the areas of water conservation and water treatment, promoting the exchange of key water-using products to continuously improve water quality. Harness efficiency in industry, agriculture and urban life.” – he said.

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