Water Entitlements and Trading Project Phase 2
Overview
The Water Entitlements and Trading (WET) project is a joint initiative of the Australian Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA), and Chinese Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), arising from a 2003 Memorandum of Understanding.
WET Phase 2 was conducted between March 2007 and March 2008 by a team of Australian and Chinese water experts, building on the work of WET Phase 1.
It made policy recommendations on a number of key issues related to the implementation of the WET framework, including:
- Water resources allocation planning
- Environmental flow definition and management, including a guideline for determining environmental flow requirements
- Allocation and management of water rights in irrigation districts
- Water abstraction permit specification and registration
- Urban water management
WET Phase 2 also involved work on the technical requirements for a WET system, including:
- Water resources management modelling
- Water accounting
In addition, two pilot studies were completed to both test and demonstrate the WET framework:
- Pilot study on water resources allocation planning and environmental flows undertaken in the Jiao River in Zhejiang province. As part of this study, a detailed environmental assessment for the Jiao River was completed and environmental flow recommendations developed. A hydrological model was built for the river and used to demonstrate how an abstraction cap could be set and operational rules defined to achieve the desired environmental flows.
- Pilot study on allocation and management of water rights within large irrigation districts, undertaken in Hangjin Irrigation District on the Yellow River in Inner Mongolia. A water allocation model, as well as water scheduling and water certificate systems, was developed to define rights of different villages to water within the district.
Phase 2 Final Report for download
The WET Phase 2 Final Report is available in English in the following sections:
- Cover, Overview, Executive Summary and Contents [pages 1-12] (PDF - 1850 KB)
- Part 1: Introduction and Summary of Findings [pages 13-32] (PDF - 206 KB)
- Part 2: National Level Recommendations [pages 33-158] (PDF - 943 KB)
- Part 3: Taizhou Pilot Study Report [pages 159-232] (PDF - 2040 KB)
- Part 4: Inner Mongolia Pilot Work Report [pages 233-324] (PDF - 1680 KB)
- Part 5: Supporting a WET System [pages 325-408] (PDF - 1680 KB)
- Part 6: Potential Benefits from Water Trading in the Yellow River [pages 409-430] (PDF - 289 KB)
- Part 7: Supplementary Paper [pages 431-522] (PDF - 4800 KB)
The WET Phase 2 Final Report is also available in Chinese and English as an entire document:
More information
For further information please contact DEWHA, or the Australian Water Entitlements and Trading Project team leader at robert_a_speed@yahoo.com.au.
See also
- Australian Water Resources 2005
- Council of Australian Governments' Water Reform Framework
- Lake Eyre Basin Agreement
- Living Murray Initiative
- Murray-Darling Basin Authority
- National Water Commission
- National Water Initiative
- Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards (WELS) Scheme
- Water for a Healthy Country Flagship
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