Water management in the Yellow River Basin: background, current critical issues and future research needs

Abstract

Management of China's Yellow River basin is at a cross-roads.Decreasing water supplies, increasing demand and a rapidly growing economy have added new challenges to a management agenda and institutional infrastructure traditionally focused on flood control and irrigation development.As a result, basin managers must now contend with such issues as water scarcity, water allocation, and environmental degradation while still guarding against floods and contributing to China's food security goals.Because of the role of the Yellow River basin in China's overall economy, the success of its water managers in addressing these new issues will have implications for the entire country.At the same time, China's experience can provide lessons for other parts of the world facing similar challenges and change.The goal of this report is to provide an English language synthesis of information on water and water management in