Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project seeks to develop methods to promote the sustainable management of water for agricultural purposes and the development of human resources for the implementation of sustainable development activities. The project is based on programme areas 13D and 13F, and is related to programme areas 14C and 16C of China's Agenda 21.

1. Background

Agriculture is the mainstay of China's rural economy. Future social and economic development will depend on the environmentally sustainable use of the resources on which this industry is based: land, water and biodiversity. Water is a limiting factor in agricultural production in China. Per capita, China's water supply is less than 25 percent of the global average. The shortage of water resources is estimated to cause losses of up to 100 million tones annually in grain production. Thus it is imperative that water-saving agricultural systems are developed to help put agricultural development on a sustainable basis.

Over 90 percent of China's water consumption is used for irrigation. Water utilization efficiency and benefits are very low in agriculture. For instance, the water use efficiency in agriculture is less than 50 percent and the production benefit of farm water (crop yield per unit water quantity) is less than 1 kg/m3. In some regions with water shortage, especially the in northern regions of China, over-extraction of groundwater and poor drainage have resulted in surface subsidence, water pollution, salt intrusion, soil salinization and swampiness.

The Government of China pays close attention to water utilization in agriculture, and has put forward a policy on to agricultural water conservation. Since the 1980's, research on the techniques of agricultural water conservation and application has been developed in different districts, especially in the northern areas of China. The research results have to be developed into recommendations for decision-makers and farmers through the diffusion and dissemination of appropriate technologies.

2. Objectives

• Long-term objectives
  • To develop and implement systems for the sustainable utilization of water resources for agriculture while ensuring the protection of the environment.

• Immediate objectives
  • To establish and strengthen administrative systems of agricultural water conservation by disseminating information on sustainable management practices and by establishing systems of economic instruments for promoting agricultural water conservation techniques.
  • To provide advanced comprehensive techniques of agriculture water conservation to increase the efficiency of water utilization by 20-30 percent, and the effective use ratios of multi-water resources by 40 percent.
  • To establish demonstration fields of agricultural water conservation as the basis for research, training, demonstration and dissemination activities.

• 3.1 Management systems of agricultural water conservation will be established and strengthened on the basis of current activities and lessons learned from past experiences with irrigation systems. Specific actions are to:

  • Establish real-time information system, and to test dynamic control of water-use in agriculture;
  • Strengthen irrigation field trials for studying water demands of agricultural crops;
  • Strengthen personnel training of the water administration bureaux;
  • Determine irrigation procedures and economic water levies;
  • Strengthen and integrate the use of water resources;
  • Establish and implement gradually the system of water pricing.

    The implementing agencies will be Ministry of the Water Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of activity 3.1 will be five years.

• 3.2 Research on techniques for raising the utilization effeciency of water resources in agriculture. Specific activities will include:
  • Construction of a research centre for agricultural water conservation for testing, introducing and spreading advanced irrigation techniques, and irrigation facilities for agricultural water conservation;
  • Techniques of water conservation of farm irrigation by investigation of different technologies such as:
    • delivery of conduit system of well irrigation and canal irrigation
    • optimizing internal field water distribution and farm distribution equipments
    • water saving irrigation on the ground and sprinkler and droplet irrigation;

    High efficiency and comprehensive use of water resources through techniques such as:
    • combined controls for surface water, soil water and groundwater
    • reuse of irrigation water
    • waste-water utilization
    • effective utilization of brackish water, salt water, and fresh water;

    Development, study and production of advanced facilities of water saving irrigation; Importation of international techniques, information exchange, technical training and consultation. The implementing agencies will be the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of activity 3.2 will be five years.

• 3.3 Research on the techniques for raising production benefits of farm water. This research will be carried out on the integrated technique for raising the production benefits of farm crop water, coordinated with activity 3.2.

  • Study on integrated techniques for raising the production benefits of farm crop water through:
    • selected crop assortment of water saving and high yield;
    • increasing crop yield with water saving fertilization;
    • planting of highly productive and water saving crops;
    • increasing yield of non-copious irrigation;
    • decreasing vaporization of farm water;
    • chemical water saving control and decreasing wasteful transpiration.

  • Importation of advanced techniques, and development, research and manufacture of the relevant equipment.
  • International information exchange, technical training and consultation.

  The implementing agency will be the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of activity 3.3 will be five years.

• 3.4 Demonstration fields of water-saving agriculture will be established in Hetao irrigation area of the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region in the North-West inland arid region, Shangqiu well irrigation field of Henan, and Langfang suburban district of Hebei in north China. These will serve as demonstration sites for research application, demonstration, and personnel training for water-saving agriculture.

  • The agriculture demonstration field of Hetao irrigation area in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region will focus on the joint use of surface, soil, and ground-water. Systems of watering, optimizing planting composition and irrigation. procedures, and practising techniques of efficient watering and water utilization will be introduced. The aim will be to replace flooding irrigation, to prevent salinization, swampiness and desertification, and to develop the area under groundwater irrigation.
  • The demonstration field of Shangqiu groundwater irrigation area in Henan Province will utilize existing piping engineering and research.
  • The demonstration field of Langfang suburban area in Hebei Province will study the utilization ratio of farm water and effective return use of different waters, thus improving the water environment, and building the area into an example of a demonstration of water-saving agriculture.
  • Capacity building in each area will focus on the administration of water saving irrigation, personnel training, dissemination of water saving irrigation knowledge, and imports and manufacture of water-saving irrigation equipments.

  The implementing agencies will be the Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture. The duration of activity 3.4 will be five years.

4. Inputs

• 4.1 Chinese Inputs
  • Administration
  • Domestic experts, technical and administrative personnel, transport and business facilities and necessary equipment
  • Relevant science, technology and information
  • Demonstration fields

• 4.2 International Cooperation
  • Assistance for capacity building, management, personnel training, expert consultants, technology and experience exchange
  • Technology cooperation, including cooperative research and spread of comprehensive techniques of agricultural water saving, manufacture and production of water saving irrigation equipments
  • Demonstration fields, include introduction of techniques and equipment as well as funds inputs

5. Benefits

After implementation and dissemination of the results of this project, the water consumption will be reduced by 20-30 percent in this areas, the production benefits of farm water will be increased by 50 percent, grain yield by 10 percent, and multi-water use efficiency by 40 percent. The project will provide demonstration models for widespread application and diffusion to all irrigated areas. The technology could also be used for disseminating internationally to countries with similar systems.