---On Feb.19th，the Summit Forum of
China's Hydropower Sustainable Development was held in
Beijing. Mr Abdul'ahat Abdulrixit, Vice Chairman of the
Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC)
attended and addressed at the forum. Hu Siyi, Vice Minister
of the Ministry of Water Resource (MWR) gave a speech.
Li Meng, -Vice Chairman of the tenth CPPCC was present.
Centering on the exchange and discussion of the China's
hydropower sustainable development, the forum aimed at
promoting the development of China's hydropower industry
soundly and rapidly.
Vice Minister Hu pointed out that China
has a lot of rivers and its water reserves rank the first
in the world. So far, tens of thousands of hydropower
stations have been completed, including the super-sized
Three Gorges Hydropower Station and Longtan Hydropower
Station, etc, with a total installed capacity of 170 million
kW, an annual generation of 560 billion kWh and a capacity
of about 70 million kW under construction, ranking the
first in the world. Hydropower accounts for 21.6% of the
total national installed capacity of power, which provides
a great deal of clean electricity for social and economic
development. The China's technical exploitable small hydropower
resources amount to 128 million kW, ranking likewise the
first in the world. Depending on the development of small
hydropower, half of the territory, one third of the counties
and cities, more than 300 million rural populations in
China have access to electricity. SHP plays an important
role in raising the level of rural electrification, driving
the economic and social development in rural areas, improving
the production and living conditions of farmers, ensuring
the emergency power supply and promoting the energy conservation
and emission reduction. It can be said that China's hydropower
has made important contributions to sustained and rapid
development of the national economy. China's hydropower
technology has achieved indigenization, and reached the
international advanced level in many areas.
Vice Minister Hu stressed that with
China's constantly rapid economic development, the exploitation
of hydropower has entered into its peak period., However,
due to many factors such as delayed policies, mal-management
and etc, there are still some issues requiring urgent
solution in the previous phase as well as current hydropower
development. Firstly, there exist the problems of seizing
the hydropower resource preemption and disorderly development.
Secondly, the comprehensive utilization of water resources
is not fully effective. Thirdly, the hydropower development
deviates from the local economic development and the benefits
of local people. Fourthly, the problem of resettlement
from reservoir areas becomes serious. Fifthly, not enough
attention has been paid to ecological and environmental
protection. Sixthly, the hydropower is excluded from enjoying
the policies supporting the renewable energy.
Vice Minister Hu stressed that we must
put the Scientific Outlook on Development as guidance
in the exploitation of hydropower, to think more of local
economic development and farmers' benefits, to pay more
attention to resettlement work and ecological and environmental
protection. It is advisable to give an overall consideration
to hydropower development, comprehensive utilization of
water resources, poverty alleviation of farmers，ecological
construction and local economic development, so as to
achieve sound and fast hydropower development.
The first is to strengthen the planning
of hydroenergy. Firstly, speed up the planning work of
river basin and give a full play to the guiding role.
Secondly, improve the professional planning on hydro-energy,
treat correctly the relationship among utilization of
water resources, multi-objective river development, resettlement
from reservoir areas, and ecological environment protection.
Simultaneously, the plan of resettlement from reservoir
areas, the plan of earthquake prevention and disaster
mitigation, and the plan of ecological protection should
be well drawn up. The comprehensive basin planning approved
through the statutory procedures is the legal evidence
for the development of rivers and hydropower development
must follow it strictly.
The second is to strengthen hydro-energy
resources management. The development of hydro-energy
resources should be integrated with the local development,
the farmers' benefits, the ecological construction and
the environmental protection. At present, in Jilin and
Hunan Provinces, the regulations on hydro-energy resources
management have been stipulated, and in Guizhou, Chongqing,
Zhejiang, Hubei, Shaanxi, Xinjiang and other provinces,
the relevant provisions have also been enacted with good
results. Clearly authorized by the State Council recently,
the Ministry of Water Resources will sum up all the experience
of different provinces, make reference to other natural
resources management, put forward the policy recommendations
for China's management system of hydro-energy resources.
The third is to strengthen the supervision
of hydropower development and construction. Firstly, we
must adapt ourselves to the current new situation of hydropower
investment diversification, update as soon as possible
the existing hydropower technical standards, and improve
safety requirements. Secondly, we must strictly implement
the basic construction procedures, strengthen the examination
of program and technical quality before approval, and
continue to clean up the "Four-Nos" stations,
i.e. the stations without approval, , examination, supervision
or acceptance. Thirdly, it is necessary to further improve
the existing hydropower construction approval procedures,
strengthen the construction supervision of hydropower
projects, streamline the regulatory system, define clearly
the regulatory responsibilities and strengthen supervision
and inspection.
The fourth is that hydropower development
should benefit local residents. The relevant departments,
professionals in the industry of hydropower and the various
circles of society should make joint efforts, explore
the system and mechanism combining the hydropower development
with the poverty alleviation of local residents so as
to integrate the hydropower development with local economic
development, poverty alleviation and amelioration of ecological
environment, creating a harmonious mode of hydropower
development.
The fifth is to set up a long-term mechanism that will
benefit the migrants from reservoir areas. We should protect
and attach great importance to the legitimate rights and
interests of migrants from reservoir areas, develop hydropower
in accordance with the principle of " Engineering
after resettlement", carry out actively and steadily
the later-period supporting policy for resettlement. Based
on the one-time resettlement and compensation for the
migrants, we should actively explore and set up a long-term
mechanism to help them steadily, improve their living
standards and allow them to share the long-term benefits
brought by the development of hydropower and the fruits
of hydropower and economic development.
The sixth is to implement the unified
dispatch of reservoirs in a river basin. We should establish
the unified dispatching mechanism for a group of reservoirs
in the river basin, appropriately arrange the storage
and discharge periods for reservoirs, coordinate the relationship
between the utilization of water resources and the flood
control, and that between the ecological and environmental
protection, fully exploring the integrated benefits of
water resources.
The seventh is to issue soonest the
regulation to define that the Renewable Energy Law is
applicable to hydropower. It is suggested that the state
should issue the regulation to define that the Renewable
Energy Law is applicable to hydropower, based on which,
the policies and rules for promoting the sustainable development
of hydropower can be formulated and improved, so as to
create the system and mechanism of hydropower development,
bring the initiatives of all sides into full play and
promote the China's hydropower for a good and fast development.
Jointly sponsored by the Committee
of Population, Resources and Environment of the CPPCC,
the State Development and Reform Commission, and the National
Energy Administration, the summit forum was organized
by the Newspaper Office of Journal of Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference and the Water Resources
and Hydropower Planning and Design General Institute,
MWR. (2009-03-05)
