These Interim Measures, consisting of 17 Articles, are enacted according to the Water Law of the People's Republic of China, for the purpose of making water quantity allocation, promoting the optimal allocation of water resources, and rationally developing, utilizing, saving and protecting water resources.
The water quantity allocation is the allocation of the total usable amount of water resources or the total distributable water quantity to administrative divisions level by level, so as to determine the shares of consumable water quantity for life and production as well as the shares of water taking and using quantity (hereinafter referred to as share of water quantity ) of administrative regions. A water quantity allocation scheme for different provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government shall be formulated by the river basin authority affiliated to the Ministry of Water Resources (hereinafter referred to as the river basin authorities) upon negotiations with the people's governments of relevant provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and be reported to the State Council or the department authorized by the State Council for approval.