School of Geography - Theses

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    China's South to North Water Transfer Project: the institutional response to the operation of the middle route
    Qi, Xing (Effy) ( 2017)
    As a result of the increasing scarcity of water resources, inter-basin water transfer projects are implemented worldwide because they provide a supply-oriented, production-focus approach of reallocating water resources. China's South to North Water Transfer (SNWT) project is known as one of the world's largest inter-basin water transfer (IBWT) projects, which inevitably requires solid institutional supports in construction and operation stage due to massive economic and social cost. Under China's peculiar Fragmented Authoritarianism structure, the institutional management of the SNWT project is a reflective tool in analyzing the current political changes within the water sector in a contemporary era. However, in contrast to the abundant studies on technical and engineering perspectives of the SNWT project, the institutional responses to the operation of this project remain little understood. Focusing on the operation of the Middle Route of the SNWT project, in this study I adopt a case study approach, supplemented by qualitative methodologies include document analysis and semi-structure interviews to explore current institutional arrangement of the SNWT project and its dynamic working mechanisms. This thesis finds out that although China's political structure is still characterized with Fragmented Authoritarianism features, an increasing level of inter-departmental cooperation and a more market-oriented guiding ideology were found in the institutional arrangement of SNWT Middle Route Project. This essay concludes that the Fragmented Authoritarianism could be overcome by integrated management as a result of efficient interdepartmental cooperation. Yet, there are both old and new institutional problems existing in this newly formed arrangement where further considerations should be addressed.