Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Where does the water we drink come from? Is there enough for everyone? Where will it come from? Hong Kong's water supply comes from two sources: the rainfall we collect in our reservoirs (20-30%) and water we buy from the Mainland (70-80%). The current agreement for water from the Dongjiang, a tributary of the Pearl River, will expire in 2015. With demand for water growing sharply throughout the Pearl River Delta and the supply of water compromised by pollution and climate change, Hong Kong's future access to clean water is far from certain. In our drive to become a sustainable city, should Hong Kong become self-sufficient? Should we increase the size of our reservoirs? Follow Singapore and recycle our waste water? Build plants to desalinate seawater? What other possible methods are there? Who's going to pay? CitySpeak invites you to join Hong Kong officials, academics and planners in this discussion about our water issues. The keynote speaker is Mr. LT Ma, Director of the Water Supplies Department, who will set the scene and outline the current situation in Hong Kong. The discussion will be moderated by Mr. Mike Kilburn, Environmental Programme Manager, Civic Exchange. Background reading "Liquid Assets -- Water security and management in the Pearl River Basin and Hong Kong" by Civic Exchange, November 2009 (http://www.civic-exchange.org/eng/upload/files/091204LiquidAssets.pdf). For more information about water in China, visit http://www.asiawaterproject.org/. Civic Exchange is a Hong Kong independent non-profit think tank. See: www.civic-exchange.org Designing Hong Kong is a not-for-profit organisation focused on sustainable urban planning. See: www.designinghongkong.com
Citation preview
The Political Economy of Water Resources Conservation in China:
Reconciling Bureaucratic Conflicts in Conserving Dongjiang’s Water Resources
Carlos LoDepartment of Marketing and ManagementThe Polytechnic University of Hong Kong
May 2010
“Fragmented authoritarianism” model
CityA
City B
Conflicts
Provincial Government
Bargaining BargainingConsensus
Reform: complicates bargaining relations
- reform decentralization of authority
central: coercive means central: ideology local units: resource autonomy local units: bargaining position
Water and bargaining
- water decisions: best reveal bargaining process
scarce resource multiple users (one use precludes another) transboundary (administrative)
Drainage area:
35,340 km2
Mainstem:
562 kmAnnual average discharge:
32.66 billion m3
Population served:
30+ million
Upstream zone
Midstream zone
Downstream zone
Hydrologists’ perspective:
Upstream zone
10% drainage area
6% annual discharge
Downstream zone
90% drainage area
94% annual discharge
Jiangxi’s perspective:
Upstream zone
Midstream zone
Downstream zone
Guangdong’s perspective:
215
1,501
3,7115,9019,206
10,21129,900
per capita GDP2008US$
Upstream zone:
- water resources conservation
shut down polluting ind. refuse polluting investment
1973
1961
1984
Upstream zone:
- water resources conservation
reservoirs> migrants
conservation forest> forest farmers
Upstream zone:
- unfair distribution of burden intra-basin disparity
- development restricted underdevelopment
- priorities “ecological compensation” supportive policies
Downstream zone: - resist direct compensation higher authorities to handle
- priorities clean & sufficient water
- bargaining actions plead w/ higher-ups
1.763
2.5332.0950.553
1.6631.100
Guangdong water allocation plan:
10.66 billion m3
Dongjiang River Basin compensation:
- targets reservoir migrants conservation forest farmers Heyuan City Government
Compensation for Xunwu?
- none from downstream
Conclusion
- new bargaining strategies direct, bottom-up extra-bureaucratic channels
- grievances: unresolved undermine long-term conservation efforts
