Can recycled water policy in China adapt to local conditions: A policy implementation perspective

In response to the water crisis, recycled water policy framework has been formulated by the central since 2000. Given the significant differences across China, local adaptive implementation under the central policy framework is allowed. Without consideration of the local performance, the previous studies less concerned on the impact from local performance and resulted in the biased evaluation on the implementation effectiveness. To fill the knowledge gap and support to mobilize adaptive implementation, this paper revisits the local implementation effectiveness according to the local adaptiveness. The paper examines the local implementation logics under top -down intervention and local conditions using text data from policy documents and the Cox Regression Model. The modified ambiguity-conflict theory was used to identify the local adaptiveness and the key constraints. The results suggest that local implementation is shaped by the dominant force of central intervention, the secondary influence of local capacity, and the minor effect of policy problems. Local adaptiveness varies across cities due to differences in local capacity. Cities with better fiscal capacity chose to innovative implementation in the face of weaker intervention, and remained adaptively implement polices with tightened central intervention. Cities with undeveloped economy preferred to perform as the central designed, with little regard for local specifics, while did not act even with enough discretion. To mobilize adaptive implementation, it is suggested that the inter-vention system should be divided into categories based on economic capacity. As a supplement to the target assessment system, a flexible performance assessment system should be designed.