IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i20p8422-d427155.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Restructuring China’s Water Environment Management System: A Social Network Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Lei Cheng

    (State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Lei Shi

    (State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China)

  • Yuxi Xie

    (State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

  • Weihua Zeng

    (State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China)

Abstract

Despite restructuring in institutions related to environmental protection, the multi-sectorial decentralized water management system of China continued to be widely criticized. To identify the problems in China’s water management system and the direction of future reform, this article implemented social network analysis. From multiple perspectives (covering efficiency analysis, condensation analysis, and network centrality analysis), we quantitatively analyzed the structural change of the super-ministry reform of water environment management in China. We found that the 2018 super ministry reform of the system made the aggregation and central enhancement of China’s water management network, hence the power of water environmental management is more concentrated in the core department. However, the function overlap still exists after the reform. Some key issues of water resources management are absent from the responsibility of the core management department. Therefore, the cohesion and management effectiveness of the overall management network need to be further improved. Finally, we summarized several practical implications for future water management system reform, and the kernel is to achieve integrated management of water resource and water environment.

Suggested Citation

  • Lei Cheng & Lei Shi & Yuxi Xie & Weihua Zeng, 2020. "Restructuring China’s Water Environment Management System: A Social Network Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(20), pages 1-17, October.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8422-:d:427155
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8422/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8422/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pretty, Jules & Ward, Hugh, 2001. "Social Capital and the Environment," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 209-227, February.
    2. Little, L.R. & McDonald, A.D., 2007. "Simulations of agents in social networks harvesting a resource," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 204(3), pages 379-386.
    3. Thiel, Andreas, 2014. "Developing an analytical framework for reconstructing the scalar reorganization of water governance as institutional change: The case of Southern Spain," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 378-391.
    4. Ananda, Jayanath & Proctor, Wendy, 2013. "Collaborative approaches to water management and planning: An institutional perspective," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 86(C), pages 97-106.
    5. Xiao Hu & Brent Lovelock & Tianyu Ying & Sarah Mager, 2019. "Stakeholder Collaboration on Policymaking for Sustainable Water Management in Singapore’s Hotel Sector: A Network Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-19, April.
    6. Eduardo Araral & Yahua Wang, 2013. "Water Governance 2.0: A Review and Second Generation Research Agenda," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 27(11), pages 3945-3957, September.
    7. David A. Siegel, 2009. "Social Networks and Collective Action," American Journal of Political Science, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 53(1), pages 122-138, January.
    8. Mark Zeitoun & Naho Mirumachi & Jeroen Warner & Matthew Kirkegaard & Ana Cascão, 2020. "Analysis for water conflict transformation," Water International, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 45(4), pages 365-384, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Wang, Shuhong & Xing, Lu & Chen, Xueli & Song, Malin, 2024. "Evaluating and enhancing natural resource asset management efficiency in China: A data envelopment analysis study," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Johnson, McKenzie F. & Rodríguez, Luz A. & Quijano Hoyos, Manuela, 2021. "Intrastate environmental peacebuilding: A review of the literature," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    2. Sergio Currarini & Carmen Marchiori & Alessandro Tavoni, 2016. "Network Economics and the Environment: Insights and Perspectives," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 65(1), pages 159-189, September.
    3. Crespo, Joan & Réquier-Desjardins, Denis & Vicente, Jérôme, 2014. "Why can collective action fail in Local Agri-food Systems? A social network analysis of cheese producers in Aculco, Mexico," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 165-177.
    4. Arsovski Slobodan & Kwiatkowski Michał & Lewandowska Aleksandra & Peshevska Dimitrinka Jordanova & Sofeska Emilija & Dymitrow Mirek, 2018. "Can urban environmental problems be overcome? The case of Skopje–world’s most polluted city," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 40(40), pages 17-39, June.
    5. Tobias Böhmelt & Jürg Vollenweider, 2015. "Information flows and social capital through linkages: the effectiveness of the CLRTAP network," International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 105-123, May.
    6. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:3:y:2007:i:68:p:1-7 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Bruno S. Frey & Alois Stutzer, 2006. "Environmental Morale and Motivation," CREMA Working Paper Series 2006-17, Center for Research in Economics, Management and the Arts (CREMA).
    8. Põllumäe, Priit & Lilleleht, Ando & Korjus, Henn, 2016. "Institutional barriers in forest owners' cooperation: The case of Estonia," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 9-16.
    9. Volland, Benjamin, 2017. "The role of risk and trust attitudes in explaining residential energy demand: Evidence from the United Kingdom," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 14-30.
    10. Leonardo Becchetti & Emanuele Bobbio & Federico Prizia & Lorenzo Semplici, 2022. "Going Deeper into the S of ESG: A Relational Approach to the Definition of Social Responsibility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-22, August.
    11. Ma, Cong & Cheok, Mui Yee, 2022. "The impact of financing role and organizational culture in small and medium enterprises: Developing business strategies for economic recovery," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 26-38.
    12. Sharmila Moganadas & Victor Corral-Verdugo & Santhi Ramanathan, 2013. "Toward systemic campus sustainability: gauging dimensions of sustainable development via a motivational and perception-based approach," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 15(6), pages 1443-1464, December.
    13. Kris Wyckhuys & Robert O’Neil, 2010. "Social and ecological facets of pest management in Honduran subsistence agriculture: implications for IPM extension and natural resource management," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 12(3), pages 297-311, June.
    14. Górriz-Mifsud, Elena & Burns, Matthew & Marini Govigli, Valentino, 2019. "Civil society engaged in wildfires: Mediterranean forest fire volunteer groupings," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 119-129.
    15. Omar D. Peña N., 2004. "La educación superior en Colombia y la teoría de los costos de transacción política," Revista de Economía Institucional, Universidad Externado de Colombia - Facultad de Economía, vol. 6(11), pages 97-134, July-Dece.
    16. Simon Zaby, 2019. "Science Mapping of the Global Knowledge Base on Microfinance: Influential Authors and Documents, 1989–2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(14), pages 1-21, July.
    17. Urszula Markowska-Przybyła & David M. Ramsey, 2018. "Social Capital and Long-Term Regional Development within Poland in the Light of Experimental Economics and Data from a Questionnaire," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-26, August.
    18. Willy, Daniel Kyalo & Holm-Müller, Karin, 2013. "Social influence and collective action effects on farm level soil conservation effort in rural Kenya," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 94-103.
    19. García-Valiñas, María A. & Macintyre, Alison & Torgler, Benno, 2012. "Volunteering, pro-environmental attitudes and norms," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 41(4), pages 455-467.
    20. Ahmadreza Asgharpourmasouleh & Atiye Sadeghi & Ali Yousofi, 2017. "A Grounded Agent-Based Model of Common Good Production in a Residential Complex: Applying Artificial Experiments," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(4), pages 21582440177, October.
    21. Asian Development Bank (ADB), 2013. "Climate Risks in the Mekong Delta: Ca Mau and Kien Giang Provinces of Viet Nam," ADB Reports RPT135841-2, Asian Development Bank (ADB), revised 07 Aug 2013.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:20:p:8422-:d:427155. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.