ABSTRACT
As the Peoples’ Daily proclaimed in 2002, the three freshwater issues for China are the inadequacy of total volume, unreasonable distribution and serious pollution. These problems all affect current water security, especially the legacy issues of pollution. China, is dealing with these issues some 50 years after some western economies began to regulate pollution and hence there may be lessons that can be transferred. Each of these three issues requires different legal and institutional approaches. Phenomenal economic growth in China and the lack of proper economic and environmental management has seen aquifers depleted and rivers polluted (Wang et al 2002). Balancing economic development and protecting valuable water resources is of vital importance to the long-term health and well-being of the general public in China. To meet these demands, China has radically changed its laws, institutions and courts, and devised some unique institutions and financing measures to approach all three issues. This has occurred in the last 20 years. For example, in 2016, China adopted the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and this new bold initiative, with 17 goals, will force further changes upon China; in this way, China has begun to adopt a more modern paradigm. This chapter examines issues caused by water scarcity and safety, and explores three new policy and law measures to tackle these issues.
