IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v7y2015i7p8950-8964d52315.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

From Water-Constrained to Water-Driven Sustainable Development—A Case of Water Policy Impact Evaluation

Author

Listed:
  • Guangwei Huang

    (Graduate School of Global Environmental Studies, Sophia University, 7-1, Kioicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-8554, Japan)

Abstract

A water allocation policy that aimed to balance water demand with water availability to ensure sustainability was implemented in an arid region of China over ten years ago. This policy’s success was assessed across three dimensions: society, the environment, and the economy. While the assessment was not intended to be comprehensive, it highlighted the best outcomes of the policy intervention while revealing some hidden issues. It was found that although the policy was successful in placing a ceiling on water use in the middle reaches of the Heihe River, the Water User Association, one of the main actors in water policy implementation, was under-recognized, even though it functioned well. Moreover, the economic structural adjustment at the macro level had not led to any significant reduction in water use, the reasons for which were explored.

Suggested Citation

  • Guangwei Huang, 2015. "From Water-Constrained to Water-Driven Sustainable Development—A Case of Water Policy Impact Evaluation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:7:p:8950-8964:d:52315
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/7/8950/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/7/8950/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Feng Wu & Jinyan Zhan & Qian Zhang & Zhongxiao Sun & Zhan Wang, 2014. "Evaluating Impacts of Industrial Transformation on Water Consumption in the Heihe River Basin of Northwest China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(11), pages 1-14, November.
    2. Rosegrant, M. W. & Ringler, C. & McKinney, D. C. & Cai, X. & Keller, A. & Donoso, G., 2000. "Integrated economic-hydrologic water modeling at the basin scale: the Maipo river basin," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 24(1), pages 33-46, December.
    3. I. Heinz & M. Pulido-Velazquez & J. Lund & J. Andreu, 2007. "Hydro-economic Modeling in River Basin Management: Implications and Applications for the European Water Framework Directive," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 21(7), pages 1103-1125, July.
    4. Zhang, Lei & Heerink, Nico & Dries, Liesbeth & Shi, Xiaoping, 2013. "Water users associations and irrigation water productivity in northern China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(C), pages 128-136.
    5. Chadwick C. Curtis & Nelson Mark, 2010. "Business Cycles, Consumption and Risk-Sharing: How Different Is China?," NBER Working Papers 16154, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Rawski, Thomas G. & Xiao, Wei, 2001. "Roundtable on Chinese Economic Statistics Introduction," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 298-302.
    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. Cai, Wenjuan & Jiang, Xiaohui & Sun, Haotian & Lei, Yuxin & Nie, Tong & Li, Lichan, 2023. "Spatial scale effect of irrigation efficiency paradox based on water accounting framework in Heihe River Basin, Northwest China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    2. Yi Liu & Peng Li & Zhiwei Zhang, 2018. "Resilient or Not: A Comparative Case Study of Ten Local Water Markets in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-16, November.
    3. Chao Bao & Dongmei He, 2015. "The Causal Relationship between Urbanization, Economic Growth and Water Use Change in Provincial China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(12), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Cai, Wenjuan & Jiang, Xiaohui & Sun, Haotian & He, Jiaying & Deng, Chun & Lei, Yuxin, 2022. "Temporal and spatial variation and driving factors of water consumption in the middle Heihe river basin before and after the implementation of the"97 water diversion scheme"," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 269(C).
    5. Zhenliang Yin & Qi Feng & Linshan Yang & Xiaohu Wen & Jianhua Si & Songbing Zou, 2017. "Long Term Quantification of Climate and Land Cover Change Impacts on Streamflow in an Alpine River Catchment, Northwestern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(7), pages 1-17, July.
    6. Heng Yi Teah & Tomohiro Akiyama & Ricardo San Carlos & Orlando Vargas Rayo & Yu Ting Joanne Khew & Sijia Zhao & Lingfeng Zheng & Motoharu Onuki, 2016. "Assessment of Downscaling Planetary Boundaries to Semi-Arid Ecosystems with a Local Perception: A Case Study in the Middle Reaches of Heihe River," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(12), pages 1-11, November.

    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. Bielsa, Jorge & Cazcarro, Ignacio & Sancho, Yolanda, 2011. "Integration of hydrological and economic approaches to water and land management in Mediterranean climates: an initial case study in agriculture," MPRA Paper 36445, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Esteve, Paloma & Varela-Ortega, Consuelo & Blanco-Gutiérrez, Irene & Downing, Thomas E., 2015. "A hydro-economic model for the assessment of climate change impacts and adaptation in irrigated agriculture," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 49-58.
    3. Sinclair, Tara M., 2019. "Characteristics and implications of Chinese macroeconomic data revisions," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 35(3), pages 1108-1117.
    4. Kragt, Marit Ellen & Bennett, Jeffrey W., 2009. "Integrating economic values and catchment modelling," 2009 Conference (53rd), February 11-13, 2009, Cairns, Australia 47956, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society.
    5. Flavia Tromboni & Lucia Bortolini & José Morábito, 2014. "Integrated hydrologic–economic decision support system for groundwater use confronting climate change uncertainties in the Tunuyán River basin, Argentina," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 16(6), pages 1317-1336, December.
    6. Xueqin Zhu & Ekko Ierland, 2012. "Economic Modelling for Water Quantity and Quality Management: A Welfare Program Approach," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(9), pages 2491-2511, July.
    7. Kui-Wai Li & Tung Liu & Lihong Yun, 2007. "Technology Progress, Efficiency, and Scale of Economy in Post-reform China," Working Papers 200701, Ball State University, Department of Economics, revised Apr 2007.
    8. Liu, Tung & Li, Kui-Wai, 2006. "Disparity in factor contributions between coastal and inner provinces in post-reform China," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 17(4), pages 449-470.
    9. Li, Shaomin & Selover, David D. & Stein, Michael, 2011. ""Keep silent and make money": Institutional patterns of earnings management in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(5), pages 369-382, October.
    10. Humberto Silva-Hidalgo & Ignacio Martín-Domínguez & María Alarcón-Herrera & Alfredo Granados-Olivas, 2009. "Mathematical Modelling for the Integrated Management of Water Resources in Hydrological Basins," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 23(4), pages 721-730, March.
    11. Pamela Katic, 2015. "Groundwater Spatial Dynamics and Endogenous Well Location," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 29(1), pages 181-196, January.
    12. Britz, Wolfgang & Kuhn, Arnim, 2011. "Can Hydro-economic River Basis Models Simulate Water Shadow Prices Under Asymmetric Access?," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114272, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Gürlük, Serkan & Ward, Frank A., 2009. "Integrated basin management: Water and food policy options for Turkey," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(10), pages 2666-2678, August.
    14. Kreins, P. & Heidecke, C. & Gömann, H. & Hirt, U. & Wendland, F., 2011. "Möglichkeiten und Grenzen der wissenschaftlichen Politikanalyse zur Umsetzung der Wasserrahmenrichtlinie – Anwendung eines hydro-ökonomischen Modellverbundes für das Weser Einzugsgebiet," Proceedings “Schriften der Gesellschaft für Wirtschafts- und Sozialwissenschaften des Landbaues e.V.”, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA), vol. 46, March.
    15. Liao, Wei & Shi, Kang & Zhang, Zhiwei, 2012. "Vertical trade and China's export dynamics," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 763-775.
    16. Baležentis, Tomas & Li, Tianxiang & Chen, Xueli, 2021. "Has agricultural labor restructuring improved agricultural labor productivity in China? A decomposition approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    17. de Fraiture, Charlotte & Perry, C. J., 2007. "Why is agricultural water demand unresponsive at low price ranges?," IWMI Books, Reports H040602, International Water Management Institute.
    18. Malte Grossmann & Ottfried Dietrich, 2012. "Integrated Economic-Hydrologic Assessment of Water Management Options for Regulated Wetlands Under Conditions of Climate Change: A Case Study from the Spreewald (Germany)," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 26(7), pages 2081-2108, May.
    19. Falck Zepeda, José & Barreto-Triana, Nancy & Baquero-Haeberlin, Irma & Espitia-Malagón, Eduardo & Fierro-Guzmán, Humberto & López, Nancy, 2006. "An exploration of the potential benefits of integrated pest management systems and the use of insect resistant potatoes to control the Guatemalan Tuber Moth (Tecia solanivora Povolny) in Ventaquemada,," EPTD discussion papers 152, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    20. Te Lai, 2015. "Regional Capital Mobility in China: An Endogenous Parameter Approach," Applied Economics and Finance, Redfame publishing, vol. 2(3), pages 63-75, August.

    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:7:y:2015:i:7:p:8950-8964:d:52315. 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.