Water shortage issue faced by both China, UK

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 23, 2003

Water shortage issue faced by both China, UK

Officials and experts from China and the United Kingdom discussed how to effectively use water resources at the Sino-UK Water Regulatory Seminar held here Monday.

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Officials and experts from China and the United Kingdom discussed how to effectively use water resources at the Sino-UK Water Regulatory Seminar held here Monday.

Elliot Morley, minister of the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the UK, told Xinhua that effectively using water resources is an issue faced by both the UK and China.

"But there is not one model that will provide all the answers," he said. "We've found a system that suits our circumstances, and has proved successful. You will want arrangements that best suit your needs and circumstances."

Both China and the UK face a water shortage problem. China's per capita water volume only reaches 2,200 cubic meters, about one-fourth of the world average, while the UK is classed as the fourthmost water-stressed country in Europe. In southeast England, the amount of water available proportionate to the population is the same as in Africa's drought-ridden Sudan.

Zhai Yaohui, Chinese vice minister of water resources, said at the seminar that the Chinese government pays great attention to the water resources issues and has ranked water among the strategic resources for social and economic development.

In order to realize rational allocation and sustainable utilization of water resources, a brand new water resources management mode, called "putting water resources of both urban andrural areas into integrated management", was born in China.

Over recent years, in order to meet the needs of social and economic development and alleviate the urban water shortages, Chinese local governments have set up water affairs bureaus which undertake the unified management of flood control, water resources, water supply, water use, water saving, wastewater discharge, wastewater treatment and recycling so as to manage water resources in both urban and rural areas as a whole.

According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Water Resources, by July 2003, the number of water affairs bureaus reached 1,206, covering 50 percent of the total administrative regions at and above county level. Among China's 663 cities, about 208, or 31 percent of the total, have established water affairs bureau.

According to Zhai, putting the water resources of both urban and rural areas under integrated management will benefit China's economic and social development.

The economic regulator in the UK is currently reviewing water prices for the period from 2005 to 2010, said Elliot Morley. He said he is working to put legislation through the parliament to ensure that water can be managed sustainably in the long term.

"We will have invested 76 billion US dollars in England and Wales between 1989-- when water and sanitation services were privatized-- and 2005. High investment, while keeping water pricesat acceptable levels, has also been achieved by making effective use of the expertise offered by the private sector," he said.

It has been a partnership, Morley said. The private sector is doing what it does best, while the government remains responsible for policy and for putting in place effective regulation. This is a useful basic principle for the UK, he said.

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