Culture Type Of Residents And Policy Implications In Water Resources Management

Water resources are the material basis of national economic development and one of the indispensable resources for biological survival. With the increase of population and national economic development, water shortages become major resources and environmental problems of which the world concerns. Development of technology and scientific management are two ways to solve the water issues. However, the current management of water resources still has some problems, such as the traditional management, the backward water system and the low degree of market issues. Combined with affects of water resources development and utilization and other activities on the water cycle, the water supply and demand contradiction become increasingly prominent. And all of these require a shift in perspective of the water resources management. Currently, water resources management research has introduced the concept of social and economic water recycling system, emphasizing the comprehensive consideration of the natural and socio-economic water cycles. That is, to study the natural processes while focusing on human factors such as social resources. International Water Management research has been aware of the need to strengthen the research of human factors involved in water resources management, especially emphasize to combine human factors and natural processes to set up simulation model in an integrated way.There are more and more attentions on the analysis of human factors in Man-land system, and many new theories and methods are emerging. Grid-group cultural theory is a new focus on study of human factors in geography and environmental science, it also known as grid-group analysis, CT (cultural theory) or the theory of sociocultural viability. The theory is applied in impact studies of humanities in environmental change broadly, in order to diagnose people's environmental attitudes and assess cultural-environmental policies and their mutual interaction by compare cultural values across time and space. In Water Resources Management, grid-group cultural theory can be used to explore cultural values impact on people's environmental attitudes and behavior, to analyze cultural values of different subjects in water resources management and to give some reasonable proposals to optimization goal of water management in different cultural zones. This can help to improve the environmental awareness of local residents and promote the development of local water-saving society, and is important to solve the general water management problems in currently.The article discussed the content and application of grid-group cultural theory. With the problems encountered in water resources management, it proposed to use the theory to analyze cultural types and impact factors, and then claimed the role of human factors in water resources management. By social investigation in GanZhou District of Heihe River, we got characteristic dates of rural residents'culture type and assessed cultural patterns of different township residents based on cultural theory preliminarily. Then, we took the impact analysis of age, education and other social-demographic characteristics on different cultural types. Based on practical application of GanZhou District, the article produced policy implications of water resources management finally.The preliminary results of culture type indicate that only about 54.70 percent of residents'culture types were clear based on cultural theory, other people's culture types can not be recognized because the scored was too high or too low. The social-demographic characteristics which effect type of culture were used sex, age, education level and income, the results show that: 1) The impact of gender differences on 4 kinds of culture type is not obvious. 2) Age was positively correlated with hierarchy, fatalism and egalitarianism; Age and individualist did not show significant negative correlation. 3) Education level was negatively correlated with residents'culture type. 4) Income was negatively correlated with all culture types; Except hierarchy, the negative correlation is significant in individualism, egalitarianism and fatalism. Finally, the analysis of awareness of natural and water issues of residents with different culture types indicate that, cultural types have some relevance to the theoretical point of view, and verify that the theoretical point of view was in line with the actual situation of residents in inland river basin at some extent, which come to policy implications in water resources management with different cultural types. That is, hierarchist focuse on how to manage water resources in water resources management. Individualist concern the efficiency of water issues. Egalitarian were in favor of change water demand by inspiration and transformation of policy, and everyone has freedom to use water. Fatalist view that supply and demand of water resources can not control, they are likely to withstand and compliance this process. Thus, considering the role of cultural values in water resources management will help to promote the efficient use of water resources and the innovation in water resources management concept and system, and enhance people's awareness of water conservation.