Effectiveness of environmental management institutions in sustainable water resources management in the upper Hanjiang River basin

Abstract

The Han River valley plays an important strategic role in the water resources allocation system in China. A parallel hybrid approach was used in the study, using both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis techniques. Twenty self-administered questionnaires were sent to the heads of the environment bureaus of 17 districts (counties) and 3 cadres of the natural resources bureaus. Three in-depth interviews were conducted with the head of the water authority in the basin. Runoff, water quality and sediment load data were collected over a 17-year period and trends were analyzed using Mann-Kendall and regression analysis statistics to predict future water levels. The results show that the positive linear correlation between runoff R and sediment load is R2 = 0.1718, while the negative linear correlation between sediment load and pH value is R2 = 0.0329. According to the Mann-Kendall analysis(p > 0.05) , no statistically significant trend was found in the data. The study concluded that there was a lack of effective regular interaction and cooperation between water and environmental management at the basin level. Effective Coordination of environmental management remains key to achieving sustainable water resources management in the Han River River Basin.