Ex-post Evaluation

1. Outline of the Project

Country:

China

Project title:

The Research Center for Water Pollution and Water Re-Use

Issue/Sector:

Cooperation Scheme:

Project-Type Technical Cooperation

Division in Charge:

Mining and Industrial Development Cooperation Department

Total Cost:

Period of Cooperation

November 1992 - November 1997

Partner Country’s Implementing Organization:

Ministry of Science and Technology, The Research Center for Water Pollution and Water Re-Use, China International Science Center

Supporting Organization in Japan:

Related Cooperation:

1-1 Background of the Project

As a result of its rapid industrial growth, China faced a serious lack of clean water and various types of environmental pollution caused by industrial and residential waste. The Chinese government made the reuse of wastewater and solution of water pollution core elements for the national research and development program of its 7th (1986-1990) and 8th (1991-1995) Five-Year Plans. However, since the technology necessary for handling these problems in China was underdeveloped, the Chinese government founded The Research Center for Water Pollution and Water Re-Use (RCWPW) in April 1988, and requested technical cooperation from the Japanese government.

1-2 Project Overview

The project provided assistance to the technical staff at RCWPW in order to resolve issues with a central focus on wastewater reuse and solution of water pollution in China. Technical cooperation was provided to aid the technical development and facilities related to wastewater treatment and reuse, and to train leaders in the areas of wastewater reuse and efficient water use.

(1) Overall Goal
The diffusion of technologies and skills related to wastewater reuse and efficient water use across China.

(2) Project Purpose
To Training of future leaders in the fields of wastewater reuse and rationalization in water use.

(3) Outputs
1) The management system in the center is improved.
2) The equipment needed for wastewater processing tests is provided and maintained.
3) Engineering for wastewater reuse is properly conducted.
4) Investigation and research into efficient water use are properly conducted.
5) The transferred technique is properly controlled and applied

(4) Inputs

2. Evaluation Team

Members of Evaluation Team

Planning of Survey: JICA China Office (Commissioned to Beijing JP Riohua Environ Tech Co., Ltd.)

Period of Evaluation

December 13, 2002 – January 26, 2003

Type of Evaluation:

Ex-Post Evaluation by Overseas Office

3. Results of Evaluation

3-1 Summary of Evaluation Results

(1) Impact
Not enough direct data was available to determine whether reuse of wastewater or efficient use water is being carried out in China, or whether the technique is being utilized in research examinations. However, this project has contributed to the development of wastewater reuse technique and has helped to reconstruct wastewater treatment facilities within small-scale enterprises around Beijing. A manual for efficient water use was developed during the project, and is being used by RCWPW and the Sino-Australia Beijing Green World Environmental Protection Co., Ltd (BGWEPC). More than four projects have been developed regarding the rationalization of water use. Also, staff of RCWPW provides training to the project managers’ engineers when water treatment engineering program is implemented.

(2) Sustainability
RCWPW was planned as a national technical transfer center that is continually supported by government. In 1998, however, China began reorganizing its government to promote efficiency. As a result, all research organizations became independent and could no longer receive funds from the government. Against this background, China International Science Center (CISC) was setup as an organization to integrate all such institutes and organizations, including RCWPW, under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST; relevant to a ministry in the central government of Japan). In order to maintain the organizational and financial sustainability of the project, the Chinese government decided to seek investment from other sources. Later, BGWEPC (51% of its shares owned by CISC) was set up as a joint venture company between Australian investment and the Chinese government. Since the completion of project cooperation, this company has been cooperating with RCWPW in carrying out operations .

Three counterparts continue to work at RCWPW. At BGWEPC, these counterparts are working to apply the technique which was developed through the project, to develop and diffuse wastewater reuse technique, as well as to carry out programs related to technique for efficient water use. RCWPW continues to be in charge of providing technical support for wastewater recycling technique toward research for the projects managed by BGWEPC. RCWPW was involved in six new projects between 1998 and 2002. Also, RCWPW and BGWEPC have utilized the water use manual developed by the project, in order to solve the problem. Since the completion of the cooperation, they have developed more than four projects. The analytical instruments are still in use. However, they have been used for almost ten years and many of them are obsolete. The frequency of use is low.

After the cooperation between RCWPW and BGWEPC began, the focus of operations has shifted from research to engineering. Therefore, technical experience and skills of the engineers have become more important. The counterparts who trained and gained experience through the project are playing very important roles at BGWEPC.

3-2 Factors that Promoted the Realization of Effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning N/A

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
1) Chinese government has established a strategy for sustainable development, and environmental laws, regulations and standards have become much stricter. All companies in China must improve their environmental performance in order to meet legislative requirements. This has lead to a greater utilization of technologies for water reuse and efficient water use.
2) Raised water prices by the Chinese government has changed consciousness of the industry and the general population and caused them to use water resources more efficiently. This has promoted interest in the technique of efficient water use proposed by the project.

3-3 Factors that Impeded the Realization of Effects

(1) Factors Concerning the Planning N/A

(2) Factors Concerning the Implementation Process
1) The discontinued provisions of government funds to RCWPW, which resulted from the Chinese government’s reorganization, made management of the RCWPW much more difficult.
2) Since the Chinese government established a policy of environmental protection in line with their strategy for sustainable development, most small-sized industries such as small paper factories and small textile factories whose operation has a serious environmental impact, were closed or integrated. Therefore, RCWPW had to refocus its target group for its programs.

3-4 Conclusion

RCWPW was separated from MOST, due to China’s institutional reform. Its operations are currently carried out in cooperation with BGWEPC. This has contributed to the development of techniques for wastewater reuse and efficient water-use. Through such cooperation, the RCWPW has been able to maintain sustainability in terms of organization, finance and technique for such cooperation.

3-5 Recommendations

(1) RCWPW must try to search for appropriate partners for further development of future business. It should also look for horizontal cooperation, such as with universities and research institutes, in order to develop new technologies to meet the market demand.

(2) Based on companies’ needs, RCWPW should cooperate with the China Enterprises Consortium. It should use the outputs of the project and provide consultation to companies on their wastewater reuse and their research and measurements regarding appropriate water use.

3-6 Lessons Learned

(1) In providing technical cooperation, particularly in a field with rapidly developing technology within a modernizing country, the country’s drastic institutional reconstruction can influence the organizational and financial sustainability of the project after the completion of the cooperation. It can cause changes in the market’s demand for certain technique. To deal with this, the project plan should be adjusted accordingly, and if necessary, capacity toward commercial activities should also be cultivated.

(2) In technical cooperation, which requires close relationships with the industry, efforts should be made to maintain good relationships, in order to gain more precise information on the companies and their current status, and to be able to respond to the changes of social conditions.

3-7 Follow-up Situation

N/A