Chinese scheme to resolve the current complicated water issues: River chief system (RCS)

Abstract

The problems of water pollution, structure-related water scarcity and water squander have long been impeding the sustainable development of China. In China, various departments including environment protection, water conservancy, housing construction and agriculture are more or less engaged in river control, bringing tremendous difficulties by the distinct and overlapping of responsibilities among departments. Aiming to solve the current complicated water issues, Chinese government has to make a breakthrough in the top design of river managements. Chinese government firstly appointed local government officials as river chiefs in 2007 to address a blue algae outbreak on Taihu Lake in Jiangsu province. In the past decade, the River Chief System has rapidly converted from an emergent policy up to the nation will, which seemed a complete surprise. However, the popularization of the system really made sense by fitting from the root of the traditional Chinese politics and current national conditions. This viewpoint paper provides a brief introduction about the origination, advantages as well as the prospects of River Chief System, which could be effective in solving the current Chinese complicated water issues and provide new insights for other developing countries in river management system design.