Group Training in Water Scarcity Management, China

To develop and strengthen an integrated and sustainable capacity within the Ministry of Water Resources in China, including its subsidiary organisations, to support problem-solving related to water scarcity management, by:

• training 15 professionals of the Ministry of Water Resources with different professional backgrounds (hydrologists, hydroinformatics experts, hydraulic engineers, and water resources managers)
• strengthening capacity through a solid in-depth training in their fields of specialisation, in an interdisciplinary environment
• developing new approaches for the management of water scarcity, taking into account the conjunctive use of surface-; and groundwater, the safe use of wastewater effluent, demand management and modern technologies of water harvesting.

The programme will be problem-oriented and tailor-made, taking into account considerations of the special characteristics of the problems of water scarcity in China.

Water scarcity in China is caused by an uneven distribution of available water in time and space. About 80 percent of water resources are found in the south with 5700 m3 per capita yearly available in the south west, versus 550 m3 in the north.

Grave problems are seen in Tianjin and Beijing provinces, where only 165 and 385 m3 respectively is available per capita yearly.

Water scarcity problems are worsened by pollution of available water resources. High urbanisation and industrialisation rates have deteriorated water quality in rivers. Groundwater overexploitation and pollution only add to this problem.

China's urban community suffers most from water scarcity. In 1990, about 26 percent of the total population lived in cities, increasing to 35 percent (or 450 million) 2000.

Water scarcity also remains a serious threat to the nation's food self-sufficiency. About 70 percent of the grains produced in China are cultivated on irrigated land. Food security is expected to worsen with the expected population rise from 1.2 billion to 1.5 billion in 2030.

In recent years, IHE gained considerable experience with interdisciplinary group training programmes for professionals from the Ministry of Water Resources, China PR.

The general approach involves professionals from different disciplines enrolled in Masters Programmes at IHE. After a period of 6 to 9 months, the group participates in the integrated part of the programme, specifically developed for their case, and allowing the knowledge obtained by the individuals to be integrated with that obtained in the regular programmes.

Group Training programmes usually include a series of specialised lectures and a case study (group work) that allows an interdisciplinary approach of the problem under consideration.

In the postgraduate research and training programme on Water Scarcity Management, the integration involves a tailor-made curriculum with special attention to socio-economic and environmental boundary conditions. It also includes a case study on a specific problem and for a specific physical situation in China.

The programme consists of seven phases: Preparatory: 2 months, recruitment, selection and preparation in China. Specialisation: 9 months in The Netherlands. Integration: 6 months (3 months overlap with specialisation phase) in The Netherlands. Data collection phase of two months in China. Research & Development: 6 months, interdisciplinary R&D in The Netherlands. Application: 12 months, professional work in projects in China. Evaluation: 1 week, evaluation and experience dissemination in China.