An Evaluation of the Sustainability of the Past and Current Management of the Water Resources in the Yellow River Basin

The Yellow River, the 6'h longest river in the world, has been described as the 'Mother River of China' on account of its long prosperity since prehistoric times, whereas since the 1950s the local residents in the Basin have suffered continuous water scarcity particularly in the lower reaches. This paper explores the embedded causes of water security in the basin, and to critically evaluate the sustainability of the water resource management in Yellow River Basin especially after the 1950s. In conclusion, the constitution and the interest of users will be rapidly changing through the socio-economic development process of the Yellow River Basin. As such, the flexibility of water resource management can be increasingly important to catch up with the rapid change. Accordingly, to stick to the current water resource management policy will cause further unexpected disasters that have never been experienced by the local inhabitants. (C) 2011 Published by American Applied Sciences Research Institute