Meeting the Basin Closure of the Yellow River in China

Abstract

Since the 1950s, the major gauging stations along the Yellow River have recorded a trend of decline in measured discharge. During the 1990s, the Yellow River once became seasonal and sent no water to the sea for several months in a year. This study investigates changes in the availability of water resources and water use at different sections of the Yellow River and in different economic sectors in the basin. Some hard and soft landing measures in dealing with basin closure are introduced and policy implications regarding the reallocation of water resources are addressed.