Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2.2
Strongly promoting agricultural water saving
In order to secure grain production under circumstances of increasing population, it is
necessary to develop irrigation areas rationally. Under conditions of increasing water
demand and increasing industrial and domestic water use, the Chinese government keeps
agricultural water usage rates unchanged to stabilise agricultural production. So
promoting agricultural water saving to increase overall agricultural production capacity is
a long-term task.
Under conditions of severe water shortage and with a high percentage total water
usage being for irrigation, there is great scope for saving irrigation water. So irrigation
water conservation must be considered a revolutionary development. A sustainable
irrigation water saving mechanism, with reforms in irrigation management systems, the
application of economic techniques and legal, administrative and technological methods,
must be developed.
Since 1998, the central government has arranged special capital to maintain and build
water saving facilities in major irrigation districts. Until 2004, 255 of a total of 402 major
irrigation districts have implemented water saving structures, which increased, recovered
and improved an irrigation area of 3.87 million hectares. Irrigation efficiency increased
from 0.42 to 0.48, and water saving capacity increased by 7 billion cubic meters.
2.3 Encouraging agricultural water users to participate in irrigation
management, to strengthen agricultural water use management
The WUA is an effective organisational method to enable water users to participate in
irrigation management and co-ordinate water use. Due to an emphasis by governments, a
push by the water administrative departments, support by the relevant agencies and active
participation by the farmers, the WUA system is rapidly developing in China. At present,
there are more than 7000 WUAs in China. The WUAs implement democratic negotiation
and self-management, with good results.
The characteristics of participatory irrigation management in China are as follows:
Participation improves water use management. The decentralisation of field water use
decision rights and rights to use irrigation facilities fully encourage the farmers to
maintain irrigation facilities, collect water tariffs and reasonably allocate water.
The participation strengthens farmers' self-management and promotes agricultural water
saving. The WUA development clarifies the relationship between water supply and use.
The irrigation management units are based on voluntary service by the water users. At
the same time, the farmers value the water and promote agricultural water saving.
Negotiation on an equal basis reduces conflict over water use. Previously, the
government spent too much time resolving water use conflict. Now WUAs can deal
with this issue and reduce the burden on the governments.
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