By Chen Jianpeng, Gao Shiji & Zhou Xiyin, Research Team on “China’s Water Treatment”, Research Institute of Resources and Environment Policies, DRC

Research report No.51, 2018 (Total 5326) 2018-3-20

Abstract: This paper analyzes the evolution of China's administrative management system on water treatment and illustrates how it has changed from a decentralized management to a unified management, and gradually realized the integration of watershed management with administrative regional management. It also gives an analysis of the major characteristics of the current administrative management system featured by regional and departmental separation at different administrative levels. It notes that the cross-department and trans-regional coordination for water treatment is not smooth, the water-related information sharing system has not been put into effect, watershed legislation is lagging behind and the administrative accountability system is imperfect. With regard to the reform of water-related administrative management system, this paper holds that the government needs to improve the inter-departmental coordination mechanism and establish an administrative management system for water treatment with clear division of labor, well-defined power and responsibility, effective collaboration and unified operational regulations; implement a watershed-based water treatment mechanism and enforce the duty-bound performance of watershed management departments; improve the water treatment system by integrating watershed management with territorial management and bring about a collaborative and effective water treatment mechanism; effectively carry out the vertical management reform of environmental protection departments under the administrative provincial level, as well as relevant reforms including the "river chief " system, the establishment of watershed-based environmental supervision and administrative enforcement authorities and related accountability mechanisms; build water-related information platforms and establish a smooth water-related information sharing mechanism.

Key words: water treatment, administrative management system, watershed management, coordination, reform