When the supply can't meet the demand, allocation will become a necessary procedure. Rational allocation is the precondition of sustainable water use under the limited conditions of total water volume, and is also the foundation forregional planning of hydraulic engineering. Before the 1980s, it was very weak in the study on allocation of water resources and there was only the rudimentary knowledge evolved from the optimal dispatch of reservoirs. Because rational water allocation should take into account two important systems of both social economy and ecological environment, it is a complicated issue seeking overall optimization from multi-objectives. In addition, the competition in water use overseas is not as serious as that in China, the requirement for water allocation practice is not so urgent. Therefore, the study progress is relatively slow. Through taking charge of and participating in several relevant key innovative and planning projects, Dr. Wang has established and developed a set of theoretical methodology for the rational allocation of water resources with Chinese characteristics.
1. Theory and methodology for the optimalallocation of water resources based on macro-economics
The initial objective of water allocation is to increase the macro-economic benefits of water resources use, and the core is to realize the scientific allocation of water resources in every national economic sector. Through taking charge of the national eighth five-year-plan project tackling with science and technology, Dr. Wang has incorporated both water resources system and macro-economic system, formulated a set of theory and methodology for the rational allocation of water resources based on macro-economics, put forward a multi-scale and multi-objective decision support method for the rational allocation of water resources and the rational allocation plan of water resources in North China, and developed a decision support system for the rational allocation of water resources in North China. The output results of this project had been appraised as at the advanced international level in the field of water planning and management by experts from the Ministry of Water Resources.
The achievements of this project had exerted significant influences both domestically and abroad, and had been widely recognized. In November of 1993, in view of this technical method the UNDP specially convened a three-day seminar at Beijing at which over 50 representatives from 18 countries were present and Dr. Wang presented this special subject to the participants; In April of 1994, the Ministry of Scienceand Technology and the Ministry of Water Resources jointly convened a symposium for the popularization and application of the achievements derived from Technical Method for the Optimal Allocation of Water Resources Based on Macro-economy. Over 100 representatives from nearly 30 provinces/prefectures and river basin commissions had a five-day-long discussion. In United Nations Middle-East Peace Conference in 1995, invited by the United Nations, Prof. Wang introduced the theory and methodology for the allocation of water resources to over 100 representatives from 44 countries. Owing to the academic level in the study ofthis special subject, Dr. Wang has won an honor in international society and related international organizations for the water staff of China, and has facilitated a batch of international cooperation and research contracts. In addition, this achievement has also been successfully applied in the National Medium and Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Plan, feasibility study on the South-to-North Water Transfer Project and some water resources planning projects in Hebei Province, Beijing, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and soon.
This achievement was awarded the first prize by the Ministry of Water Resources due to its advancement in science and technology in 1996 and the national second prize due to its advancement in science and technology in 1997.
2.Theory and methodology for ecology-orientedrational allocation of water resources
Social economic system and ecological environment system are two big "water consumers" at basin level. In arid and semi-arid areas, water use competition in these two huge systems has become more and more intense. Therefore, the core for the rational allocation of water resources in these areas should be the scientific allocation of water to ecological and economical uses.
Through in charge of the National Ninth Five-Year-Plan Project "Study on Rational Allocation and Carrying Capacity of Water Resources in Northwestern Region", Prof. Wang has put forward a series of theory and method for the rational allocation of water resources towards ecological water requirement in arid areas. In revealing the action mechanism of the arid area moisture-ecology, he has created the water computational method for ecological water requirements in the arid area basin. Then considering social and economic development and the ecological environment construction and protection of water, he has brought the ecological water into the water resources allocation category, proposed the rational water resources allocation for ecologically vulnerable areas in Northwest China. It has not only enhanced the matching degree between water resources and the land resources, but also promoted the regional development of the connotation and the coordination between ecology and economy. This achievement has been appraised as “the significant breakthrough in the development and utilization of water resources and the construction and protection of ecological environment for interior arid areas, playing a vital role in the practice of rational development and utilization of water resources and ecological environment protection in northwest regions and reaching the international leading level overall" by the Ministry of Water Resources expert group.
Not long after the advent of this achievement, it has been widely applied in such significant planning and practices as water resources planning in the northwestern region, planning for the socio-economic development and water resources use in five provinces/prefectures in the northwestern region, pilot project for development of water-conservation-oriented society in Zhangye Municipality, planning for the comprehensive control of water resources in Tahe River Basin, comprehensive water control plan in Heihe River Basin in the near future and negotiation on international rivers of China and Kazakstan and has made remarkable economic, socialand ecological benefits.
This achievement won the first prize of Da Yu Award due to its advancement in science and technology initiated by the Ministry of Water Resources in 2003 and won the national second prize due to its advancement in science and technology in 2004.
3.Theory and methodology for the scientificallocation of water resources at basin level
In order to realize the scientific guidance of the rational allocation plan of water resources at the macroscopic planning level on the water volume dispatch practice at the microscopic managing level, during the research subject titled “the InformationSystem of the Allocation and Management of Water Resources in Heihe RiverBasin” under National Tenth Five-Year-Plan Key Scientific and Technological Project, Dr. Wang proposed the theory and method on scientific allocation of water resources at basin level, constructed Heihe River basin water resources allocation model system, realized system coupling of the rational allocation plan of water resources at basin level and the real-time dispatch plan of water volume at basin level, all of which have facilitated the implementation of the scientific plan at macroscopic level in daily dispatch and management of the water volume at basin level. The expert group for project examination and approval of the Ministry of Science and Technology hold that "this subjectis obviously innovative in water resources distributive simulation technology, rational allocation and the assessment method and real-time dispatch method, and has formed the systematic technology and method for unified dispatch of water resources at basin level,which is of great theoretical and practical significance for unified dispatch of water resources in China.", and " the information system for the dispatch and management of water resources in Heihe River basin the subject has achieved is quite practical and operational for achieving unified dispatch andmanagement of water resources. "
This research has been conducted in the light of the management practices of water resources in Heihe River basin, related technical methods and important parameters for the unified dispatch plan of the water volume in Heihe River basin and has played a vital role in the rehabilitation of the ecological system in lower reaches of Heihe River basin. Furthermore, many research results have been adopted in the pilot plan formulation for the first pilot project for the construction of water-conservation-oriented society in Zhangye Municipality. In addition, related achievements have also been applied in "The Planning on the Development, Utilization and Protection of Water Resources in Heihe River Basin" and "The Planning on the Training of Dong Feng Chang District in the nearfuture" and so on.
4.Theory and methodology for the rationalallocation of generalized water resources
The research onrational water resources allocation mainly aims at the traditional runoff water resources, including surface water, ground water and non-conventional runoffwater resources. In fact, non-runoff available moisture also plays a vital role for economic and ecological system in water cyclic process.
Through in charge of the key project for the development of the western regions, titled "Studyon the Rational Allocation of Water Resources for the Eco-economic System in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region", based on the previous theories and methods, soil water was incorporated into the effective water resources for allocation and the scientific allocation of full-calibre available moisture in basin water cycle among and within the economic society and eco-environment system was realized. Based on the water-consuming and water-saving potentials and water-transferring and water-saving potentials of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, rational allocation of water resources aiming at the construction of water-conservation-oriented society in Ningxia Autonomous Region, which has laid a foundation for the layout and construction of key hydraulic projects,was put forward. The expert group of the Ministry of Science and Technology appraised the project as "significant innovation in the theory and method of water resources allocation and reaching the international leading level".
Many achievements derived from this research have been adopted in the project “Planning for the Development of Water-Conservation-Oriented Society in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region” which has provided technical support for the practices in the construction of water-conservation-oriented society, and the related research results have been applied in the compilation of "Overall Planning of WaterResources in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region" and "The Eleventh Five-Year-Plan for the Development of Irrigation in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region".
Along with the continuous improvement in a forementioned theory and method of the rational allocation of water resources, the research outcome has been applied more and more widely. At present, it has been directly applied in the comprehensive planning of all the six primary basins in northern part of China and over ten provinces and many prefecture-level cities. In addition, it has also been incorporated into "Technical Specifications for Comprehensive Planning of National Water Resources". It has vigorously promoted rational allocation of water utilization in basins and regions, the protection and rehabilitation of eco-system and the scientific management of water resources at basin level.
