Irrigation Development and Water Rights Reform in China

This article describes the growth and importance of irrigation in China in terms of the expansion of surface water irrigation led by the state, and the more recent acceleration of groundwater irrigation led by individual farmers. Key management challenges and policy priorities are outlined, highlighting the importance of water conservation and integrated water resources management under the 2002 Water Law. The article then describes the basis for rights definition and allocation planning under the Law, and recent experience with implementation in surface water and groundwater contexts. A key conclusion is that the development of a modern water rights system in China is vital for mediating between the claims of competing uses, particularly at the agricultural-industrial-urban interfaces, and for meeting water conservation and reallocation objectives. At the same time, farmers within irrigation districts and in emerging groundwater economies need clearly defined rights to encourage investment in the farm economy and to provide security of supply. Implementing new systems in a country the size of China is a major challenge, however, particularly across large rural aquifers where groundwater development is increasingly opportunistic and farmer-led.