After introducing groundwater development and other issues, the paper analyzes China's groundwater management system and its problems, and provides suggestions for improving the system. Increasing water demand since the 1970s has resulted in severe groundwater overdraft, water level decline and water quality degradation in China, but the current management system is not able to provide an effective and efficient solution. The legislation is separate and local, the management institutions are locally designed and the key management instruments are not integrated. This is because China lacks distinct groundwater management systems, comprehensive legislation, a quality management system and capacity, as well as coordinated institutions, and clear relationships and effective links among systems. To improve groundwater management, the concept of aquifer management and an integrated groundwater management system must be developed. The existing systems need to be restructured to clarify relationships and functions. The groundwater abstraction permit system needs to be reformed to a group permit. A quality management system is required and capacity building must be strengthened.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
Research Article|
June 30 2014
Groundwater management in China Available to Purchase
Dajun Shen
1School of Environment and Natural Resources, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
E-mail: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
Water Policy (2015) 17 (1): 61–82.
Article history
Received:
August 21 2013
Accepted:
June 02 2014
Citation
Dajun Shen; Groundwater management in China. Water Policy 1 February 2015; 17 (1): 61–82. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2014.135
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
eBook
Pay-Per-View Access
$38.00