Chinese Officials Consider Establishing a National System of Water Rights

Chinese officials have begun to discuss developing a national system of water rights, which will include both defined water property rights and specific allotments and quotas for water resources, according to a July 7 Xinhua report. The report says that officials plan to control water resources more strictly to promote greater efficiency and a more equitable distribution of water resources, but it does not elaborate on the structure of the system.

Government efforts to improve control of water resources are likely the result of widespread water shortages in China, brought on by poor conservation and efficiency as well as the pollution of existing water resources. A June 2005 news report describes a National People's Congress review of how the government implements the Water Pollution Prevention Law. The review found that water pollution in China continues to be a nationwide problem, with the majority of the pollution resulting from industrial pollution and lack of waste water treatment plants.