A leading international water expert says that China's water management needs to be conducted in a more uniform way in order to ensure more effective use of the precious resource.

"What countries have to do if they really want to tackle their water problems is they have to integrate policy under one particular ministry for water," said Michael Rouse, president of the UK-based International Water Association.

That is because there are so many aspects which need to be brought together, such as water resource problems, water pollution and drinking water requirements, Rouse said.

In China, water-related issues are dealt with by a number of ministries, resulting in ineffective management of water resources because each ministry has its own perspective, said water expert James Gao.

For example, underground water is managed by the Ministry of Land and Resources, while water quality is under the Ministry of Health and water pollution is tackled by the State Environmental Protection Administration. Under such circumstances, even research on water-related issues is divided, Gao said.

Rouse said he was pleased to see that water bureaux were being established in some Chinese cities.

In a government work report issued recently at the second meeting of the 12th Beijing people's congress, the capital will establish a water management department to address the city's water shortage problem. Strict measures will be taken to use water resources more rationally and protect drinking water sources, the report said.

Water resources in China are currently being overused. For example, 60 per cent of the Huaihe River's water, 65 per cent of the Liaohe River's water and 62 per cent of the Yellow River's water is being used and the rate for the Haihe River is as high as 90 per cent.

It is agreed internationally that 30 to 40 per cent is a warning level for water resource use.

Nearly 60 per cent of the nation's 669 cities lack adequate water supplies, and 110 of them are suffering from serious water shortages.

(China Daily 03/06/2004 page2)