Administration of water resources in Beijing: problems and countermeasures

It is well recognized that climatic variability and human activities are resulting in severe water scarcity in China, especially in the mega city Beijing; one important issue is how to manage water resources in order to tackle this situation. This paper assesses the implementation of the Strictest Administration of Water Resources in Beijing, which was issued by the State Council of China in 2012. The assessment is threefold: (a) analysis of water consumption conditions in Beijing, (b) analysis of water resources management systems in Beijing, and (c) existing problems in the current water management system. Our study suggests that Beijing needs to focus more on improving the building of water resources management agencies, taking effective economic measures, strengthening law construction, developing advanced techniques for water-saving, and strengthening the building of a water-saving culture.