ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses China's water governance under the central planning of the state during a period of great transformation. A huge population and regional disparities mean that China is a country that has insufficient water for its needs. Water governance has had to face the huge pressures of industrialization, urbanization, economic growth and a burgeoning population. The Notice of State Council on Implementing Various Policies and Measures of Great Western Development Strategy and its Implementation Opinions built the main institutional framework of these policies. West–East Electricity Transmission (WEET) will transfer the abundant electricity generated in western provinces such as Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan to electricity-starved coastal regions like Guangdong, Shanghai and Jiangsu. The goal is to translate the rich hydropower resources in the west into supporting efficient, renewable, clean, affordable and reliable energy to develop the eastern regions. China's energy revolution is at stake. Domestically, China faces potential energy crises over efficiency and security concerns.
