Focusing on the requirements to implement the most stringent water resources management system, the project has mainly covered the researches of standards and codes for the national water resources monitoring capacity building projects, key technologies of simulation and control of Three Red Lines in the most stringent water resources management, and assessment technology, providing technical support for the implementation of the most stringent water resources management system according to the unified arrangement of MWR Department of Water Resources.

1. Major Innovative Achievements

1.1 Researches of standards and codes for the national water resources monitoring capacity building projects

The 2-year preliminary study (2010-2011) and 3-year standards and codes preparation (2012-2014) have constructed a technical standards and codes system of the national water resources monitoring capacity building projects with 25 standards and codes compiled of 6 categories. The resolved key technologies of acquisition and transmission, storage and management, and expression and application of the national water resources monitoring data have provided the technical standards and codes support for the whole process of the national water resources monitoring capacity building. The research findings have been successfully applied in relevant projects at ministry, river basin, province and municipality levels, playing a critical role in interconnection, information sharing and business coordination among the three-level platform of the national water resources management system.

1.2 Key technologies of simulation and control of Three Red Lines in the most stringent water resources management

1.2.1 Key technologies of analysis and dynamic control of water use efficiency driving factors

In view of diagnosis and control of water use efficiency driving factors, an all-round research has been conducted in the aspects of water use efficiency impact mechanism, factors, assessment indices, modelling technology and dynamic control, with important research findings of water efficiency zoning, comprehensive assessment, control objectives, coping strategy achieved, so as to solve the key technologies of water use efficiency zoning, real-time assessment and dynamic management. Relevant research findings have been applied in the decomposition of water use efficiency control indices of each province (autonomous administration region and municipality directly under the central government) at the end of the 13^th Five-Year Period by MWR Department of Water Resources, report on the Mid-term Assessment of the National Water Development in the 12^th Five-Year Planning, formulation of relevant indices of Water Development Planning in the 13^th Five-Year Planning, and agricultural and industrial water use efficiency control targets in the 13^th Five-Year Period in provinces of Jiansu, Jilin, Gansu, Henan, etc.

The research findings have realized the real-time assessment of current national-wide situation of water use efficiency, and instructed future annual water use efficiency assessment objectives of water administrative departments at different levels and targeted control of sensitive water use efficiency driving factors.

1.2.2 Research of simulation of the most stringent water resources system and water use structure control technology

The variation characteristics of and interaction among 4 indices of the Tree Red Lines, depending on inflow quantity and social-economic development, in the nation and 31 provinces and municipalities have been revealed, and the compatibility and completeness of the Tree Red Lines discussed. The conversion relationship between the decomposition of the Tree Red Lines control objectives and annual management objectives of various inflow frequency and the simplified conversion method of annual management objectives of total water consumption have been established, solving the problem of red-line assessment of the total water use control, and being applied in the Beijiang River Basin in Southern China and Shandong Province in Northern China. A digital simulation lab of the most stringent water resources system has been constructed, integrating policy simulation, scenario prediction, early warning and control, and assessment, providing decision-making tools for red-line indices decomposition, control and assessment, and being applied in Shandong Province.

1.2.3 Quantitative description and diagnosis technologies of total water consumption and efficiency control red lines

The quantitative description and key indices determination of total water consumption and efficiency red lines and the relation between key quantitative description indices and assessment indices have been studied, realizing the objective description and dynamic control of indices. The method to convert regional annual total water consumption into water consumption in normal precipitation year has been proposed, a dynamic assessment technique for total water consumption and efficiency constructed, the relation between annual average total water consumption control and inter-annual and annual water differences dealt with, and the regional total water consumption and efficiency control objectives and the practical water supply and demand relation in respective region evaluated. Traceability diagnosis of problems in water resources development and utilization has been conducted, problems of regional total water consumption and efficiency control located, and work focus and management countermeasures determined.

1.2.4 Technologies of water resources conservation, protection and management

In view of agricultural water-saving technology research based on the total quantity control in plain river network areas, the soil moisture control indices of root growing layer, rational fertilization standard and irrigation program of paddy field with controlled irrigation and thin-spray irrigation in plain river network areas have been completed. A systematic irrigation and drainage mode of paddy field water saving and pollution control in irrigation zones of plain river network areas, i.e., “irrigation channel–paddy field–ecological ditch–wetland”, has been established, the intensive management mode of farmland transaction in irrigation zones of plain river network areas proposed, and pilot paddy water-saving irrigation area of 1,000mu constructed.。Relevant findings have been popularized and applied in Kunshan and Pinghu, with cumulative benefits of cost-saving and income increase of 29.4 million Yuan. There were 17 papers and 5 books published. And the project won the Second Prize of 2015 Agricultural Water-Saving Technology Award.

In view of water-saving society construction, the research team has participated in the compilation of planning outlines and texts of water-saving society construction for the 11^th, 12^th and 13^th Five-Year Periods. The team was the editor-in-chief of two national standards and 1 ministerial document, i.e. Index System and Methods for Assessment of Water-Saving Society GB/T 28284-2012, and Technical Guideline of Stipulation for Norm of Water Intake GB/T GB-T 32716-2016, and Guideline for Compilation of Water-Saving Society Construction, and co-editors of two national standards, Industrial Water Usage and Conservation – Terminology GB/ T 21534-2008 and Evaluating Guide for Water Saving Enterprises GB/ T 7119-2006.

In view of drinking water sources protection, the project team has compiled Technical Guidelines for Safety Evaluation of Drinking Water Sources (manuscript for approval), which is a technical basis for the compilation of National Urban Drinking Water Sources Safety and Security Planning and National Water Resources Protection Planning.

In view of hydro-ecology progress, the project team has accomplished the implementation plans for pilot city construction of Yancheng City, Chongqing City, Nanjing City, Nantong City, Hulunbei’er City, etc.

In view of water intake permit and water resources supervision and management, the project team has compiled Technical Guidance for Water Resources Demonstration in Urban Master Planning (manuscript for approval), Guidance on Water Resources Demonstration of Thermal Power Construction Project (manuscript for review), participated in the formulation of water sector policies and regulations, continuation of water intake permit management approach (manuscript for revision opinions), and technical requirements for water resources demonstration for five industries (coal, metallurgy, petrifaction, papermaking, shale gas) proposed.

1.3 Assessment technology support of the most stringent water resources management

The project team has compiled the statistics and accounting methods of household and ecological environment water consumption, and participated in the compilation of Total Water Consumption Statistics Plan (Trial Version), 2013-2015 China Water Resources Bulletin, and Technical Points of Total Water Consumption Review, which have improved the quality of the Bulletin, and scientificity, accuracy and timeliness of total water consumption statistics. The team has also took part in drafting the Assessment Method of Implementing the Most Stringent Water Resources Management System, important spot checks and on-site inspections of provincial and regional implementation, compilation of assessment and inspection reports, providing technical support for the assessment of implementing the most stringent water resources management system.

2. Academic Outputs

A technical standard system composed of various standards and codes has been established for the national water resources monitoring capacity construction projects, technical requirements for water resources demonstration for five industries (coal, metallurgy, petrifaction, papermaking, shale gas) proposed, and relevant academic papers of water resources supervision and management published. Books, such as Study on Water-Saving and Pollution-Reducing Technology of Rice Field in Plain River Network Areas, Water Saving Technology for Iron and Steel Industry, Outline and Study of National Water-Saving Planning, Findings Collection of Special Study on Trans-Century Water Conservation Action, Publicity Materials of Technical Requirements and Management Rules of Water Conservation Products, were published.

3. Applications

The project team has participated in drafting relevant documents including Assessment Method of Implementing the Most Stringent Water Resources Management System, important spot checks and on-site inspections of provincial and regional implementation, compilation of assessment and inspection reports, providing technical support for the assessment of implementing the most stringent water resources management system.