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Desiccation of the Yellow River, the cradle of the Chinese civilization and the second longest river in China since the 1970s, has created serious socioeconomic, environmental and ecological problems. This paper analyzes the water shortage problem in the Yellow River and evaluates the effects of demand management and the interbasin transfer -South Water Northward Transfer Project - in alleviating the problem. Although China has initiated a series of demand management and pollution control initiatives, these programs alone cannot solve the chronic water shortage problem in the Yellow River Basin. While facing multiple challenges and controversies, implementation of the South Water Northward Transfer Project is necessary to mitigate the water shortage crisis in the Basin. However, the implementation of the Transfer Project is only a partial solution to the Yellow River chronic water shortage problem. China should actively implement and enforce its demand management programs and pollution control policies to make sustainable use of its limited fresh water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the measured data on no-flow events in the Lower Yellow River since 1972, this paper presents an approach to describe the no-flow status in terms of a comprehensive indicator. The severity levels of no-flow events are identified by cluster analysis. Furthermore, the relation between severity levels and incoming water from upstream and its variance is well established with a BP-typed Artificial Neural Network (ANN), which is helpful to identify the complex response of the severity level to flow characteristics. The availability of the approach for quantitative description and prediction of no-flow events is discussed through comparisons between predicted and measured results in the Lower Yellow River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transjurisdictional water pollution problems are increasing in number and are becoming a significant governance problem in China. A large number of transjurisdictional water pollution disputes that have far-reaching social effects are occurring between provinces and are also frequent between municipalities, counties, towns, and villages. In this paper, several transjurisdictional water pollution cases in China, particularly in the Yellow River Basin, are discussed. The problems and causes for transjurisdictional water pollution are addressed. There are many causes for transjurisdictional water pollution problems although the key reasons are the rapid economic development, the failure of local authorities to enforce the existing laws and to implement administrative decisions, as well as inadequacies in the legal framework. Other factors include poor technology, shortage of funds, the institutional division of jurisdiction and management over water quantity and quality both administratively and legally, the lack of transparency in the decision-making process, insufficient public participation and information disclosure, poor communication, and lack of involvement of stakeholders in basin or sub-basin organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]