2005 China Water Conservancy Development Report

Author: Jing Zhengshu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: In 2004, the water conservancy sector continued to maintain a strong development momentum, with significant achievements in flood control and drought relief. Key water conservancy projects such as the Huai River governance and the South-to-North Water Diversion Project advanced steadily in planning and construction. Rural water conservancy, soil and water conservation, and rural hydropower made new progress, particularly in addressing rural drinking water shortages, which were completed ahead of schedule for the 10th Five-Year Plan. Water conservancy management was continuously strengthened, reforms deepened, and progress was made in building a water-saving society. The cadre team and spiritual civilization construction in the water conservancy sector were further enhanced. Meanwhile, theoretical research and practical exploration surrounding water conservancy development continued to expand. Social stakeholders paid close attention to the difficulties and hot issues in water conservancy development. At all levels, water conservancy departments firmly established and implemented the scientific outlook on development, actively exploring and advancing sustainable water conservancy. Significant research achievements and major progress were made in water conservancy planning, water resource allocation, water rights exploration, water affairs system reform, water management system reform, and water price reform. In 2005, the central government emphasized leading economic and social development with the scientific outlook on development, strengthening and improving macro-control, advancing all work through reform and opening up, building a harmonious socialist society, and promoting the coordinated progress of material civilization, political civilization, and spiritual civilization in socialism. General Secretary Hu Jintao pointed out at the Central Symposium on Population, Resources, and Environment that water conservancy work must prioritize protecting drinking water sources and ensuring people have access to safe water. It must also improve water resource management systems, actively promote advanced and practical water-saving technologies, and strengthen flood control, drought relief, and water conservancy construction. This requires theoretical researchers to be sensitive to macroeconomic trends and policy directions, focusing on key issues in water conservancy development from the perspective of socio-economic development, such as drinking water safety, building a water-saving society, the ecological impact of water conservancy projects, social management in water conservancy, water conservancy investment and financing, and institutional building, while also continuously exploring practical solutions. Therefore, when establishing the editorial approach for the 2005 China Water Conservancy Development Report, we clearly defined the need to integrate internal research findings within the water conservancy sector with the results of external research on water conservancy; to organically combine long-term research projects essential for water conservancy reform and development with the distinctive features of the current year; to effectively distinguish the bluebook-style analysis and theoretical discussions of water conservancy reform and development trends from the data-driven characteristics of an annual report; and to balance the serious and profound content of the report with readability and innovative expression. In terms of content, the 2005 China Water Conservancy Development Report aims to reflect the significant progress in water conservancy development and reform in 2004 from perspectives such as the scientific outlook on development and sustainable water conservancy, the conceptual framework of the "11th Five-Year Plan" for water conservancy, river and lake governance and management, rural water conservancy, building a water-saving society, water conservancy reform, administrative governance and rule of law in water conservancy, soil and water conservation and ecological construction, the development strategy of water conservancy science and technology, key water affairs, and international water conservancy. It also provides analysis and forecasts for water conservancy development in 2005. In style, the 2005 China Water Conservancy Development Report largely follows the editorial format of the 2004 China Water Conservancy Development Report.