River chiefs

An unorthodox chinese solution to managing water

Nine dragons managing water” — it’s a metaphor that the Chinese have long used to describe how their country manages its water resources. Clearly not a compliment, the metaphor refers to overlapping and unclear responsibilities that different agencies and governments have over the country’s aquatic resources. And it is a metaphor that, surprisingly, describes India very well too. In both countries, water management is split across ministries at the central and state level, and between different agencies handling different functions with regard to water management and water pollution. 

The results of a complex and unclear system of management, coupled with rapid