Impact of "Three Red Lines" Water Policy (2011) on Water Usage Efficiency, Production Technology Heterogeneity, and Determinant of Water Productivity Change in China

Wasi Ul Hassan Shah; Yuting Lu; Gang Hao; Hong Yan; Rizwana Yasmeen

doi:10.3390/ijerph192416459

Impact of "Three Red Lines" Water Policy (2011) on Water Usage Efficiency, Production Technology Heterogeneity, and Determinant of Water Productivity Change in China

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 8;19(24):16459. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416459.

Authors

Wasi Ul Hassan Shah¹, Yuting Lu¹, Gang Hao², Hong Yan¹, Rizwana Yasmeen³

Affiliations

¹ School of Management, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou 310015, China.
² Department of Management Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
³ School of Economics and Management, Panzhihua University, Panzhihua 617000, China.

Abstract

This research evaluates the effects of the Three Red Lines policy on water usage efficiency (WUE), production technology heterogeneity, and water productivity change in 31 Chinese provinces between 2006 and 2020. SMB-DEA, Meta-frontier analysis, and Malmquist-Luenberger index (MLI) techniques were employed for estimation. Results revealed that the mean WUE (2006-2020) in all Chinese provinces was 0.52, with an improvement potential of 48%. Shanghai, Beijing, Shaanxi, and Tianjin were the best performers. The WUE scores before (2006-2011) and after (2012-2020) water policy implementation were 0.58 and 0.48, respectively; on average, there was more than a 9% decline in WUE after the implementation of the water policy. The eastern region has the most advanced water utilization technology as its technology gap ratio (TGR) is nearly 1. The average MLI (2006-2020) score was 1.13, suggesting that the MLI has increased by 12.57% over the study period. Further technology change (TC) is the key predictor of MLI growth, whereas efficiency change (EC) diminished from 2006 to 2020. The mean MLI score for 2006-2011 was 1.16, whereas the MLI Score for the period 2012-2020 was 1.10, indicating a modest decline following the implementation of the water policy. All three Chinese regions experienced MLI growth during 2006-2020, with TC the main change factor.

Keywords: DEA; productivity change; regional heterogeneity; water usage efficiency.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Beijing
China
Efficiency
Technology*
Water*

Substances

Water

Grants and funding

This study was sponsored by the Talent person recruitment project of Zhejiang Shuren University (KXJ0121610) and RGC (Research Grant Council) of the Hong Kong SAR Government (project #: 9042713).