China pursues a strict water resources management system

In recent decades there was a change in water resources management from a sectoral to a multidisciplinary and integrated approach, which now has widespread acceptance as the foremost concept for a holistic management approach. In our January 2013 issue, the news article "IWRM education: e-learning module on Integrated Water Resources Management" by Leidel et al. pointed out that this transition sought to balance the different interests of water users, and to provide water resources economically and sustainably. Due to the urgency of water scarcity and water environmental issues reported in China in recent years, a more operable and stringent water resources management system is emerging.