Table of contents | How to order A new OECD publication on
Environment, Water Resources and Agricultural Policies: Lessons
from China and OECD Countries contains a set of expert papers on
how to improve water management in China’s agricultural sector.
The Executive Summary (in English and French) captures the
essence of discussion and main conclusions from the papers.
China’s leaders face the daunting challenge of feeding the
world’s largest population with limited resources. China’s per
capita endowment of arable land is low and water scarcity is of
particular concern. Not only is China’s endowment of water
resources extremely low, but it is also badly distributed, with
the North China Plain having one of the lowest per capita
endowments in the world. The serious water shortage is
exacerbated by poor efficiency in its use and contradictions in
the way water is allocated and managed. Water pollution is
contributing to water shortages as well as increasing the cost
of provision of water for agriculture. Since