愛知大学国際中国学研究センター2008年度国際シンポジウム報告書「中国をめぐる開発と和諧社会」 資料篇

Economic Development and Water Utilization in China:
A Tale of Two Cities
Jia LI♠, Tomohiro AKIYAMA∗(International Center for Chinese Studies, Aichi University)

1.

Introduction
This study aims to examine the interaction between economic development and waterutilization in China. Avoiding the hydrological analysis, the present study focuses on the relationshipbetween various macroeconomic indicators and water utilization. Especially, the study intends toexplore the relationship between past development strategy and current water shortage by examining
the evidence from two cities, i.e., Jinchang and Zhangye.

2. Economic Development and Water Utilization in China: National Evidence1
3. A Tale of Two Cities: Evidence from Jinchang and Zhangye
3.1 Water Availability and Use in Jinchang and Zhangye
Figure 1 presents changes in water availability and water use in Jinchang and Zhangye.
Figure 1 Jinchang and Zhangye: Water Availability and Water Use (Unit: million m3, %)B: Zhangye
2500.060.0%

2000.050.0%
1500.040.0%

1000.0

30.0%
20.0%
10.0%

Agricultural use
Water use/Gross availability

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

19991998

1997

1996

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991

1990

1989

1988

Year

1987

0.0%
1983

2007

2005

2003

2001

1999

1997

0.0

1995

0.0%
1993

0.0
1991

500.0

1989

20.0%
1987

100.0
1985

40.0%

1983

200.0

1981

60.0%

1979

300.0

1977

80.0%

1975

100.0%

400.0

1973

120.0%

500.0

1971

600.0

Annual Discharge of Dong-Xi Dahe
Industrial and domestic uses

Water use/ Grossavailability
70.0%Discharge, Water use

1986

Water use/Grossavailability
140.0%

1985

Annual Discharge,
Water use
700.0

1984

A: Jinchang

YearDischarge at Yinluoxia

Agricultural water (surface water)

Agricultural water use (groundwater)

Water use/Gross availability

3Notes: Gross water availability of Jinchang is 537.4 million m (field interview). Gross water
availability of Zhangye is 2.7 billion m3 (Gansu Yearbook, 2007: 207).
Sources: In the case of Jinchang, authors’ field interview conducted in The Bureau of Water
Resources of Jinchang (Jinchang shuiliju), September 17th, 2008. In the case of Zhangye, Chen(2007: 141).
In the case of Jinchang, it is clear that annual discharge of Dongdahe and Xidahe has not♠∗International Center for Chinese Studies, Aichi University. Corresponding author: Jia LI. E-mail:lijia@aichi-u.ac.jp. This study is the result of a fieldwork conducted by the two authors during September 13-24,
2008. The original fieldwork was conducted in two northwestern provinces in China, i.e., Gansu and InnerMongolia.
1Section 2 is omitted due to the limitation of length.

358愛知大学国際中国学研究センター2008年度国際シンポジウム報告書「中国をめぐる開発と和諧社会」 資料篇

changed much since 1970s despite the annual fluctuations. From the demand-side of water, during
the period 1985-2007, total water use in Jinchang had stabilized at 525.3 million m3 until 1999, anddeclined to 448.9 million m3 since then. Exactly, agricultural use of water had declined from 474.2
million m3 in 1985 to 339.2 million m3 in 2007, while industrial and domestic uses of water had
increased from 45.0 million m3 in 1971 to 107.6 million m3 in 2007.
In the case of Zhangye, annual discharge at Yinluoxia Dam has been fairly stable since 1983
despite the fluctuations. From the supply-side of water, during the period 1983-2004, total
agricultural water use has declined slightly. Surface water had dominated the agricultural water use,
while the groundwater water had increased sharply since the early 1990s.
Regarding the ratios of water use, Jinchang had continuously fallen into the environmentallyoverexploited range during whole sample period with an average of 92.8 percent. Zhangye had fallen
into the comfortable range after 1985, but continuously at the verge of environmentallyoverexploited range with an average of 55.8 percent over the period.

3.2 Jinchang: Mining of Natural Resources and the Construction of Industrial City
Jinchang is a typical mining city established and developed accompanied by the exploitation ofnickel mine. As shown in Figure 2, industry, especially heavy industry has attained remarkable
growth since the late 1950s. Using constant 1980 price, in 1957, the gross output value of industry
was RMB 956,000 yuan, less than one tenth of the gross output value of agriculture. Since 1959, theindustrial output has outperformed the agricultural output. In addition, during the period 1981-1991,
heavy industry had accounted for 95.0 percent of total industrial output on average.
Figure 2 Jinchang: Changes in Industrial Structure, 1957-1991 (Unit: 10,000 yuan, 1980 constant price)
120000.0
100000.0
80000.0
60000.040000.0

Agriculture

Industry

Light Industry

1991

1989

1987

1985

1983

1981

1979

1977

1975

1973

1971

1969

1967

1965

1963

1961

1959

0.0

1957

20000.0

Heavy Industry

Source: The Jinchang Chronicles (Jinchang shizhi).
One peculiar feature of Jinchang in the process of building an industrial city is the mass
relocation of population. Figure 3 depicts the population increase and the relocation of population inJinchang since 1955. In the years for which statistics are available, the cumulative number of net
relocation to Jinchang was 125,516 persons. It accounted for 2.2 times of the natural population
growth in the city. Especially, large amount of population had been relocated to Jinchang to support359

愛知大学国際中国学研究センター2008年度国際シンポジウム報告書「中国をめぐる開発と和諧社会」 資料篇

the development of mining industry.
In 1958, in order to exploit nickel mine, large amount of workers, technicians and managers
were relocated from Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Baiyin, Gansu to Jinchang. By the end of 1961,
population in the mining district reached 14,317 persons. These people and their families consistedof the main population which formed the urban district in Jinchang. After the establishment ofJinchang city, the government allowed the families of mine workers to change their rural Hukou tourban Hukou (Nongzhuanfei). The policy resulted in the considerable increase in the urban
population in Jinchang. In the five years from 1982 to 1986, there were 83,212 persons whomigrated to the urban area of Jinchang. Meanwhile, in 1958, after the iron mine was discovered in
Dongdashan, many workers, technicians, managers and their families were gradually relocated toHexibao. By 1964, there were 10,348 persons in Hexibao. The number amounted to 36,717 persons
in 19822.
Figure 3 Jinchang: Population Increase and Relocation of Population, 1955-1992 (Unit: person)
Natural Pop, Growth,
Relocation (in&out)

Population
45000040000

40000035000

35000030000

30000025000

25000020000

20000015000

150000

10000

100000

5000

50000

0

Population (end-year)

Natural Pop. Growth

Relocation (in)

1991

1989

1987

1985

1983

1981

1979

1977

1975

1973

1971

1969

1967

1965

1963

1961

1959

1957

-5000
1955

0

Year

Relocation (out)Source: The Jinchang Chronicles (Jinchang shizhi).

3.3 Zhangye: Construction of Agricultural Production Base and Agricultural Development
Different from Jinchang, Zhangye is a typical agricultural city with a long history ofagricultural development. As Figure 4 shows that, the economic structure of Zhangye had been
agriculture-concentrated during the period 1952-1990. Although the expansion of industry,
especially light industry had been remarkable since 1950s, the gross agricultural output had
continuously outperformed the gross industrial output. Using constant 1980 price, the grossindustrial output had increased from RMB1.7 million yuan in 1952 to RMB 162.9 million yuan in1990. The gross agricultural output had increased from RMB 15.6 million yuan in 1952 to RMB
228.6 million yuan in 1990.

2The Jinchang Chronicles. 1995: 93-95.

360

愛知大学国際中国学研究センター2008年度国際シンポジウム報告書「中国をめぐる開発と和諧社会」 資料篇

Figure 4 Zhangye: Changes in Industrial Structure, 1952-1990 (Unit: 10,000 yuan, 1980 constant price)
40000.035000.030000.025000.020000.015000.0
10000.0
5000.0Light industry

Heavy industry

1990

1988

1986

1984

1982

1980

1978

1976

1974

1972

1970

1968

1966

1964

1962

1960

1958

1956

1954

1952

0.0

Agriculture

Source: The Zhangye Chronicles (Zhangye shizhi).
The presence of Zhangye as an important agricultural production base has been repeatedlyaddressed by Gansu provincial government and central government. As a result, huge area of waste
land had been reclaimed after 1949. The total cultivated area in Zhangye has increased from 0.9
million mu in 1949 to 3.9 million mu in 20083. As shown in Figure 5, the sown area of two primarycrops in Zhangye, i.e., wheat and maize, had experienced a sharp increase in 1950s, and then asudden decrease in the three years of natural disaster. After that, the sown area had increased again
and finally stabilized at around 1.5 million mu in 1990s. In absolute values, the total sown area of
wheat and maize had increased from 0.6 million mu in 1950 to 1.6 million mu in 1996. In addition,using the data of former Zhangye county, it is clear that the total sown land area increased again
after 1987 while the sown land area of grain crops had slightly decreased. This suggests that thesown area of cash crops experienced increase after the recognition of Zhangye as a national-level
vegetable production base in 1987.
Figure 5 Zhangye: Changes in Sown Land Area, 1950-2003 (Unit: 10,000 mu)
180.0
150.0
120.0
90.0
60.0

Sown area of: wheat+maize

3Total sown land area

1995

1992

1989

1986

1983

1980

1977

1974

1971

1968

1965

1962

1959

1956

1953

0.0

1950

30.0

Sown land area of grain crops

Field interview conducted in the Bureau of Water Resources of Zhangye (Zhangye shuiwuju), September 18th,
2008.

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愛知大学国際中国学研究センター2008年度国際シンポジウム報告書「中国をめぐる開発と和諧社会」 資料篇

Notes: 1. 1 mu=1/15 hectare.
2. The data from the Zhangye Chronicles only covers former Zhangye county (currently, Ganzhou
district).
Source: In the cases of sown area of wheat and maize, the Zhangye Crop Chronicles (Zhangye diquliangshizhi), p.38. In the cases of total sown area and the sown area of grain crops, the Zhangye
Chronicles (Zhangye shizhi).

4.

Concluding Remarks
Using the evidence from two cities, Jinchang and Zhangye, this study revealed the relationshipbetween past economic development strategies and current water stress situation in China. We foundthat the development strategies lacking long-term visions are attributed to the water shortage in bothcities. In Jinchang, the establishment of a city for developing extraction industries since late 1950s
had been accompanied by the mass relocation of population to the area wherein water resources can
not accommodate so large amount of population. In Zhangye, although the city had a long history ofagricultural development, the construction of agricultural production base had been accompanied by
the excessive reclamation of waster land. The increase in water consumption induced by thesubstantial increase of cultivated land consequently resulted in the water shortage in Zhangye andalso the conflict between Zhangye and lower reach region of Heihe river basin.

References
Chen, Jing. 2007. (in Japanese).Water Use in the Middle Reach of Heihe River Basin. In Chugoku
henkyo chiiki no gojunen (edited by Nakao, Hohbaatar and Konagaya). Toho Shoten. Tokyo.
Gansu Yearbook (former Gansu Statiscal Yearbook). Various years. China Statistics Press. Beijing.
The Jinchang Chronicles (Jinchang shizhi). 1995. China City Press. Beijing.
The Zhangye Chronicles (Zhangye shizhi). 1995. Gansu People Press. Lanzhou: Gansu.
The Zhangye Crop Chronicles (Zhangye diqu liangshizhi). 1999. Gansu People Press. Lanzhou:
Gansu.

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