The accomplishment and strategy in developing transboundary waters in China Luwei Ying & Xianlong Hou CE 397 – Transboundary waters

Background There are 263 transboundary rivers around the world. The transboundary rivers take up 60% of the global terrestrial freshwater resources.

Situation in China China is one of the countries that have plenty of transboundary rivers in the world. China will also be one of the countries that would be consider of ‘physical water scarcity’ in 2025.

One of the efficient and effective way to solve the problem is to develop its’ rich transboundary water resources. China shares 40+ transboundary rivers with the neighboring countries. The major 15 transboundary rivers are shown as: LocationNameLength(km) Watershed Area(10km^2 ) Shared Countries Facing Problem China's behavior northeast China Heilongjiang China, Russia, Mongolia Water Resources' pollution yield pollution Yalu River7956 China, North Korea Tumen River5253 China, North Korea, Russia Ussuri River90519China, Russia Suifen River4492China, Russia northwest China Irtysh China, Kazakhstan, Russia allocation of water resources manufacture water use and water protection Ili China, Kazakhstan allocation of water resources manufacture water use Ulungur8214 China, Mongolia southwest China Lancang River China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam allocation of water resources Impoundment and power generation Yarlung Zangbo China, India, Bangladesh allocation and usage of water resources Impoundment and power generation and yield pollution Yuan jiang6778 China, Vietnam Nu jiang China, Myanmar environmenta l protection Impoundment and power generation Irrawaddy China, Myanmar Indus River China, India, Pakistan Beicang River China, Vietnam

Transboundary waters conflict The Kachin army conflicted with the Myanmar government army due to construction of the hydropower station by Chinese government The Yarlung Zangbo River’s conflict between Chinese and Indian governments The IrtySh River’s conflict between China and Kazakhstan for the reason of the construction of a canal

Strategy Explore the path of cooperation Rational distribution, strict supervision, vigorously develop the gas power plants, biomass power generation and other clean energy Build a negotiation and cooperation system for the transboundary rivers

Build a cooperation and negotiation system Conflict prevention and response Establishment of early warning mechanism Cooperative Development and Management Improve the cooperation and negotiation system to a better level Establishment of emergency mechanism Establishment of responsibility mechanism Construction of scientific investigation and information-sharing channels Determine the mode and means of co-management and development goals Achieve the negotiation management, joint development and common benefit Improve the cooperation and negotiation system to a better level Establishment of responsibility mechanism

Conflict prevention and response mechanism Build an early warning mechanism Establish an emergency mechanism Construct a responsibility mechanism

Cooperative development and management mechanism Encourage the related countries to carry out scientific investigation Construct an information sharing channel Determine the mode and means of co- management and development goals Achieve common benefit

Accomplishment Case one:Cooperation between Russia and China China government took action at the first time to take care of the Dual-benzene plant explosion in Minimize the effects to Russia people. Then, two countries got further agreement on the boundary water management including pollution control, environment protection and water resource usage.etc.

Case two:Cooperation between Kazakhstan and China Kazakhstan and China founded the expert committee to improve the cooperation on the water resource usage and begin to solve the problem on each transboundary river.

Case three:Cooperation with other countries First: China's Government has been trying to take the necessary measures to minimize possible effects of the project on the Yalu Zangbu River to the Indian and Bangladesh via negotiation. Second, China’s construction company is trying to avoid the conflict the issues about water resource in other countries.

Conclusion Even though there has been several transboundary rivers’ conflict between China and some neighbouring countries, there are also many accomplishments. Based on the demands of China and related countries’ development, China would cooperate with the related countries to establish a set of cooperation and negotiation system including management, development, emergency prevention and enhance mutual security trust. Only in this way could make a peaceful and stable environment to develop and that would be a win-win case for both sides.

Disscusion Do you consider the ‘cooperation and negotiation system’ to be effective? Why? Except the mentioned methods above, what else can you think of to be useful? Do you think this kind of solution is also effective when it apply to another different country?