THE REFORM OF URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT IN CHINA - Essay Example

This included the property rights arrangement, the financial arrangement and the operation arrangement. The property rights arrangement enabled the transfer of ownership. The financial arrangement provided the capital availability for further development. The operational arrangement upgraded the efficiency by exploiting advanced management skill applied to the water sector. As the privatization of the water sector took place, the role of the government changed. The government should step down from the role of service provider, and become the regulator of water market.

The increase in water tariffs was also important in the water reform. The central government tried to increase the water efficiency and productivity by market mechanism. Increase in water tariffs raised the cost of using water, which could reduce water consumption with low use value. The urban water resources management had experienced a tremendous change for the sustainable development of urban China. I declare that this dissertation represents my own work, except where due acknowledgement is made and that it has not been previously included in a thesis, dissertation, or report submitted to this University or to any other institution for a degree, diploma or other qualifications.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family, especially my wife Marisa and my daughter Vickie for their enduring support and encouragement. Also, I want to show my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Y S Frederick LEE, for his continual support and guidance during the whole period of the preparation of my dissertation. Here I want to dedicate this work to them. Water is one of the necessities for human sustainable development. It is also a key element for urban activities, such as daily living and industrial activities.

China has only 6% of the world’s total fresh water resource, but more than 20% of its population (Gleick, 2009). The National