1.The theory of the composition ofthree-hierarchical water price and water pricing method
Through in charge of the project “Research on Water Price Theory and Practice for Sustainable Development” financed by national key NSFC project, water price constitution theory at full-cost and its computational method aiming at the sustainable development has been proposed. According to the core theory, comprehensive water price should be composed of resource-oriented water price, project-oriented water price and environment-oriented water price, among which the resource-oriented water price reflecting the natural value of resources in short supply, project-oriented water price showing the cost of water supply projects, and the environment-oriented water price demonstrating the added cost by water environment protection and harnessing. Based on the full-cost composition, the computational method from the accounting viewpoint and the accounting balance model of water price have been put forward. This achievement was appraised by the expert committee organized by NSFC as “innovative progress in the sustainable development of the theoretical framework on water price, the analytical and computational model and method, and water resources management, providing feasible theoretical basis and the method for implementation for the formulation and reform of China's water price and overall reaching the international advanced level with some up to the international leading level". The project won the 3rd prize of Da Yu Award for Advancement in Water Resources Science and Technology in 2004.
The method derived from the aforesaid project has already been applied in the accounting of water price adjustment for the water supply by Guangdong Province to Hongkong, and the determined water price has been agreed, recommended for implementation by two negotiation sides.
2.Technology and method for initial water rightdivision
The water right division is an important content of modern management of basin water resources and the foundation for the construction of water-conservation-oriented society. Since the initial water right division involves the immediate interests of different water users and there is a close link in the respect of hydraulics between surface water and underground water, the scientific division of initial water right has always been a crux in water resources management. Through incharge of "the Universal Model for Rational Allocation of Water Resourcesin Song-Liao River Basin" and "Research on Rational Allocation of Water Resources in Middle Reaches of Heihe River", the technology and method of the initial water right division based on rational water resources allocation has been proposed including seven primary principles, and the model system of initial water right division at the basin or regional level has been also constructed.
At present, this method has been applied in the first pilot project in the construction of water-conservation-oriented society in China. The initial water right division plan for three counties of Ganzhou, Linze and Gaotai in the middle reaches of Heihe River basin formulated on the basis of this technology has attained unanimous agreement from the above three counties and obtained the approval from Zhangye People's Municipal Government as the first county-level initial water right division plan approved by authorities at a higher level. It won the 2nd Award for Progress in Science & Technology in the year 2004 in Gansu Province. In addition, this technical method has also been applied in the current research on initial water right division in Song-Liao River basin.
The above-mentioned achievements have produced remarkable social, economic and ecological benefits in practices. For example, the optimized allocation of water resources in North China has enhanced the macroscopic output of regional water resources utilization and produced tangible results; the eco-oriented plan of rational allocation of water resources in Northwest China has effectively improved the protection and rehabilitation of the ecological system of five provinces and areas in Northwest China with evident ecological benefits; the scientific division of initial water right in middle reaches of Heihe River has safeguarded an equitable division of right on water use with distinct social benefits. However, due to the strong characteristics of public interest of the research on water resources in itself, it is difficult to obtain the precise calculation of the economic benefits.
