The politics and policies of regional water management in Southern China

Abstract

China’s Pearl River Delta region has a political and geographic setting that presents coordination challenges in the management of environmental resources, including water. Understanding these dynamics can provide lessons for policy interventions in similarly situated regions around the world. For a region with more than 45 million inhabitants and yearly economic output in excess of US$1 trillion, the water needs of a growing demand base pressure policymakers to maintain supply continuity and anticipate unforeseen threats. Despite only modest concern among officials and experts about supply continuity, two potential threats deserve attention: climate change and political tension. The pressing policy question for officials and analysts alike is whether collaboration among local governments enhances regional resilience against such threats, specifically regarding the collective governance capacity to adapt to exogenous change.