12. The Strictest Water Resources Management Strategy and Its Three Red Lines

This chapter discusses the strictest water resources management strategy, the most important water resources management strategy developed in the water sector in China. The developing background, strategic framework, key tasks (three redlines), and implementation of the strategy are analyzed. The strictest water resources management strategy arose from critical water resources circumstances, a serious water resources problem around 2008 and weak water resources management. The strategy has aimed to develop a modern water resources management system by implementing three redlines of water resources management. The water resources development redline is to implement total water-use volume control; the water-use efficiency redline is to control water waste, and the water function zone pollutant assimilation redline is to control pollutants into water bodies. After development of the strategy, a series of policy documents was issued to support the implementation, and four annual assessments have been conducted. However, some concerns remain, such as the assessment of the water resources manager, rather than of management.