Water Resources Protection and Informed Decision Making

Water security has become a key priority for most countries in Asia—and the People’s Republic of China is no exception. Many local governments in the People’s Republic of China are struggling to ensure a water-secure future for their residents. The Asian Development Bank provided support to the Qingdao Municipal Government for the preparation of a groundwater resources plan for the Dagu aquifer in Shandong Province. The assessments and modeling technologies applied in the Dagu aquifer example are valuable lessons for other local governments to use when making decisions in their own planning. These include the types of information about the water resources, options for the treatment of water pollution, and the needed planning for the management and protection of water resources.