Wang Xiaolin, International Poverty Reduction Research Center of China  (Small Grant 2008)

This project examined the problem of rural people's access to safe drinking water through a case study in Jiangxi. It was conducted by the International Poverty Reduction Research Center of China in collaboration with Jiangxi Agricultural University. The team included experts in human development, agricultural economics, environmental economics and social protection. The project reviewed national level policy on safe drinking water and the mechanisms for implementing it at the local level, including budgetary arrangements and mechanisms for the approval and implementation of projects. It examined environmental impacts on rural drinking water in the county and analyzed the implementation of the 11th Five Year Plan with a focus on procedures for planning and securing funds for water improvement projects. 

 

In 2007 only 49.5% of the population in Jiangxi Province had access to piped drinking water, making it number 24 out of 31 provinces nationwide, with more than 13 million people lacking access to safe water. The project found that although the supply of rural drinking in the country has improved, quality is still a big problem. A lot of water is now piped, but with the exception of a few towns and the state-owned farm, most places did not have a clean or treated source of water and there was no regular inspection of rural water sources. Although water in the township was inspected yearly, water in rural areas was inspected only when villagers paid the cost themselves. Water was polluted mostly by fertilizer and pesticide run-off, waste from livestock rearing and household wastewater. Many areas also face water shortages especially in the dry season.

 

Improving water quality is not part of the local poverty alleviation strategy. Poor villages receive 100,000 yuan from the national and provincial governments each year for five years under the Poor Village Overall Improvement program (pinkun nongcun zhengti tuijin). But funds are allocated after public debate and in poor areas where there are many needs for infrastructure and economic development, water is not always a priority. Under the 11^th Five Year Plan the county set goals of reducing the number of people without access to safe treating water by 1/3 by 2010, by half during the 12th Five Year Plan and completely by 2022. However, funds for improving drinking water come from the national government and the program directs subsidies towards the central and western provinces. Counties in the eastern part of the country generally have to provide matching funds, which is difficult for poor areas. Procedures for designing and implementing programs are also spread across multiple departments including the Development and Reform Commission, Water, and Health. The project found that management responsibilities are not clear and it is not evident which department is responsible for the quality of rural drinking water. Case studies of three villages unpack the particular issues involved and the difficulties in implementing water improvement projects.