The China Water Accounting Project was initiated in November 2006 by the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) with assistance from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD). Its purpose is to establish a water accounting framework based on international experiences and standards, and in particular the System of Environment-Economic Accounting for Water (SEEA – Water), but adapted to fit the circumstances of China. Both theoretical and applied research were conducted to develop this water accounting framework, which has the primary objective of supporting water resources management. A preliminary water accounting framework has now been developed and pilot accounts have been prepared at the national level as well as in four regions: the Beijing and Shanghai municipalities and the Haihe River and Taihu Lake basins. In addition, case studies have been undertaken on the valuation of water resources, the value of resource depletion and environmental degradation, and policy interventions. The development of water accounting is playing an important role in strengthening water resources management in China and in particular enables the construction of a range of indicators that can be used by decision-makers.

Keywords: SEEAW; China

Biography: Dr. Gan is a researcher with the Department of Water Resources, IWHR and has been engaging in the field of water resources planning and management for more than 25 years.