Ponds are common property resources that allow users to obtain water on-demand because of their capacity to store rainwater and other surplus water close to users. Effective management of these ponds is crucial, especially with increasing water scarcity and decreasing water deliveries for agriculture that are taking place in many irrigation systems, including the Zhanghe Irrigation System (ZIS) in China. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and performance of collective action in pond management, and to quantify the factors affecting that collective action. We used two different approaches to measure the performance of collective action: a performance indicator based on soil conditions, and farmer’s perceptions based on their satisfaction with the current level of management activities. The results using the two approaches were consistent, and indicated that, among other variables, dependency on pond water, pond size, and household size were important variables affecting the performance of collective action. There was also limited evidence that clarification of property rights through the use of contractors for pond management improved outcomes for farmers.

长江与洞庭湖在地理和水文要素上联系紧密。三峡工程建成后，洞庭湖水位、含沙量和水质都将受到影响，主要表现在洞庭湖径流的年内分配比原来更加均匀，湖内泥沙淤积放缓,水质有所改善, 枯水期污染物浓度有所降低等。为了更好地发挥三峡水库的作用，改善江湖关系，本文在分析基础上提出了一些建议。

The main purpose of the study was to determine the impact of ponds on the adoption of water-saving irrigation (WSI) practices. We hypothesized that access to ponds would increase the likelihood of practicing alternate wetting and drying (AWD). While it seems reasonable that the ability to access pond water would reduce the risk involved in letting the paddy dry temporarily, and thus encourage adoption of AWD, we can find no solid empirical evidence to support the proposition. The result showed that adoption of AWD is not driven by farmer desire but rather imposed on them due to increasing water scarcity. Furthermore, we found that farmers who were more reliant on pond irrigation were less likely to adopt AWD – the ponds were used to avoid soil drying. Because of the numerous benefits, it is assumed that pond water sources will continue to play an important role in sustaining crop production.

Faced with growing demand for water for non agricultural uses – industry, domestic, and hydropower – China has been adopting a range of water saving irrigation practices. A study has been undertaken in two sites in China to identify the water saving practices and policies and determine the impact on water productivity at farm, system, and district level. The sites are the Zhanghe Irrigation System in the Yangtze River Basin approximately 200 km west of Wuhan and the Kaifeng City Prefecture located just south of the Yellow River in Henan Province. The study is being conducted by scientists from Wuhan University, the International Water Management Institute, and the International Rice Research Institute. A first step in this study has been to examine the long term trends in water allocations between agricultural and non-agricultural uses and in crop and water productivity. In both sites there have been substantial gains in crop and water productivity although with a slowing down or modest decline in crop production. In this paper we describe briefly trends in water use and water productivity from the late 1960s until 2000. We describe the range of factors that may have contributed to water savings and gains in water productivity, and understand how these factors play role in different contexts (Yangtze River and Yellow River basins). As our study proceeds we hope to identify more clearly the relative importance of the various factors and some management strategies can be presented to the water managers to improve irrigation efficiency in their districts.

以我国水资源较为短缺的河南省开封市为例, 对该地区水资源利用趋势进行预测研究。从开封市各行业 用水特性出发, 以水资源预测理论为基础, 建立各用水行业用水趋势模型, 对开封市不同水平年来水及各行业用 水情况进行了科学的预测和水量供需平衡分析, 揭示了实行全社会节水的必要性。