A Study On China's Water Rights System

Starting with the global water resources crisis and the challenges of China's water resources shortage, this thesis analyzed basic characteristics of water resources, such as duality and scarcity, and then raised the topic of administration of water resources and water rights. This thesis reviewed related researches at home and abroad on water rights system, summarized and analyzed basic theories and systems abroad on water rights, studied and analyzed water rights transaction, construction of water market and water price system in foreign countries, analyzed present situation of construction of water rights system in China, made an empirical study on original distribution of China's water rights and their redistribution which means water rights transaction, put forward the focus and basic ideas of construction of China's water rights system based on a comparative study on water rights theory and practice at home and abroad.In terms of studying and analyzing of basic water rights system, this thesis analyzed present situation and development trend of China's water resources utilization based on water Kuznets curve and elasticity of water to economic growth, analyzed water resources characteristics based on the theory of public goods, analyzed connotation and characteristics of water rights based on modern theory of property rights, all these formed the basis of study and analysis of water rights system.In terms of summarizing and analyzing the establishment and evolution of water rights system of foreign countries, from the point of defining the initial water rights and the obtaining of utilization rights, this thesis analyzed water rights transaction and water market construction in foreign countries, studied water price system of other countries, summarized other countries'experiences on water rights construction and main measures of typical countries. Three aspects were summarized for China's reference, the first one is to strengthen unified administration of water resources, the second one is to establish scientific water rights system, the third one is to complete and improve water laws and regulations, in which main measures in typical countries such as the United States, France, Israel and Mexico were summarized respectively. In this thesis three enlightenments on China's water rights system construction were put forward, the first one is that establishing practical water rights system which suits local conditions and the time should be the principal idea, the second is that basic measures of strengthening water resources administration is to clarify water rights, the third is that water rights transaction is an effective way to achieve optimal allocation of water resources.In terms of summarizing and analyzing establishment and development of China's water rights system, this thesis expounded the construction of water rights system in China, analyzed initial distribution, water rights transaction and water pricing practice of China and typical cases on China's original distribution and transaction of water rights, summarized main problems and the reasons during the construction of water rights system in China.In terms of empirical study on original distribution and redistribution of water rights which means water rights transaction, taking two-parts water price reform on agricultural water supply in Hubei Province as typical case, this thesis made an empirical study on water price practice in original distribution of water rights, put forward countermeasures and suggestions on two-parts water price reform on agricultural water supply. This thesis analyzed water rights and water market of South-to-North Water Transfer Project, a case of an interregional water rights transaction, made a quantitative study on water resources' contribution before and after the south-to-north water transfer on Zhengzhou City's regional GDP, using calculation method of water resources contribution degree and water resources contribution rate based on water resources production function. This thesis also made an empirical study on cross-industry water rights transaction, analyzed the possibility of transferring agricultural water rights to industrial water rights by regression analysis method, taking Wuhan City as an example, it estimated the transferred and diverted agricultural water rights and the compensation quantum in Wuhan City by Fuzzy Comprehensive Evaluation.In countermeasures study on establishing and improving China's water rights system, based on successful experiences of other countries, aiming at problems of China's construction on water rights system and in accordance with actual situation, this thesis proposed five countermeasures and suggestions on China's water rights system construction:the first is to deepen the reform of water resources administration system, through equilibrium analysis on water resources distribution, it proposed an optimization scheme on water resources distribution system, that is to combine organically the government regulation and market mechanism in order to form a water resources distribution and operation and administration pattern which would combine government macro-control, democratic consultation, water market regulation and water users' participation. At the same time, analyzing from macroscopic perspective this thesis put forward that implementation of the most strict water resources administration system is an important way to optimize government regulation, and we should establish and improve an unified water resources administration system for whole river basin, unified regional water affairs administration and unified water affairs administration covering both urban and rural areas. The second is to establish and improve water rights initial distribution system. This thesis described the principal of water rights initial distribution, construction of water rights initial distribution system and its key points. The third is to establish and improve water rights transaction system. This thesis analyzed causes and effects of water rights transaction and tradable water rights, proposed basis thinking on water market construction. The forth is to establish scientific water price system. This thesis analyzed scientific connotation of water price and key factors affecting forming of water price, proposed suggestions on construction of water price system. The fifth is to strengthen the construction of water laws and regulations system, clearly define the concept of water rights, establish laws and regulations system of water rights definition and transaction, try to establish allocation, assignment and transfer system of water resources use rights, establish and improve supervision and management institution.