Water engineering is not the panacea for water crisis of China

Excerpt

Water crisis becomes increasingly severe in China at this critical period of economic transition. Yu (2011) strengthened the significance of water engineering, administrative policy, and guaranteed funds. His suggestions are right but far from enough. Although it is still not clear how the funds (¥4 trillion [US$(2011)619 billion]) will be spent, we think most of them will be invested in water engineering. In particular, quite a large portion of the fund will go to large projects as the government usually perceives that large projects represent greater achievements and hence greater political opportunities for promotion. Lessons from the past experiences tell us that water engineering can only solve part of the water crisis problems. An integrated strategy of crisis management involving mindset shift should be sought.

Instigated by the deeply-embedded idea that man's determination will conquer nature, China started to construct its nationwide water engineering projects since the Chairman Mao period (1949-1970s). The policy makers believed that the water problems could be solved through engineering practices. China has thus completed numerous hydro projects, such as the largest reservoir (the Three Gorges) and the longest water diversion (South-North Water Transfer Project). Yet, these projects have played a certain role in promoting social…