National Water Resources Survey to Begin in China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, December 06, 2001

National Water Resources Survey to Begin in China

A national comprehensive surveyon China's water resources will be completed by 2002, a water official said Wednesday. The purpose of the project is to determine the current situation of China's water resources, establish an appraisal system suitable for the water market, and work out a database to support water-related infrastructure projects such as the development of western China and electricity transfer from the west to the east.

Songhua River Dried Due to Lack of Rain

A national comprehensive surveyon China's water resources will be completed by 2002, a water official said Wednesday.

Guidelines for the work and a package of technical standards were issued at the Second Working Conference on Water Resources that opened Wednesday in Kunming, capital of southwest China's Yunnan Province.

The purpose of the project is to determine the current situation of China's water resources, establish an appraisal system suitable for the water market, and work out a database to support water-related infrastructure projects such as the development of western China and electricity transfer from the west to the east.

With data collection and analysis to be completed by the end of 2002, the database will be built up in 2003.

Since New China's founding in 1949, three general surveys of water resources have been conducted.

Water Shortage to Hit Danger Limit in 2030

The ministry reported that China's per capita water resources quota will be only 1,700 cubic meters, a generally acknowledged danger limit, by 2030, when its population reaches 1.6 billion.

China possesses two of the world's longest rivers, the Yangtze and the Yellow River with water reserves totaling 2.81 trillion cubic meters, the fifth richest in the world after Brazil, Russia, Canada and the United States. Calculations made based on population and acreage of arable land in 1997 show the country's per capita water resources quota is only 2,200 cubic meters, 25 percent of the world's average.

By 2030, water resources quota for per mu (15 mu equal to one hectare) of arable land will be 1,900 cubic meters, 80 percent of the world's average.

Means to Solve the Problem

Two pressing issues now facing China are the need for water resource conservation, and finding means for prevention and treatment of water pollution.

The purpose of water management is to find the best ways to distribute and sustain use of water resources, meet market demand and support China's social development.

Therefore, a nationwide survey of water resources is necessary and programs on water use and management should be worked out in adown-to-earth manner.

A spirit of cooperation and solidarity must be followed in managing water resources because water problems often involve interests of different groups, departments and economic spheres.

Water Diversion Project

The preparation work of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project has met the technical requirements for the start of construction in 2002, said Zhang Jiyao, vice minister of Water Resources.

The project, which grew from a strategy first bandied about in 1958, aims to divert water from the south to the north of China soas to ensure the water supply for farming and industry there.

Chinese experts have approved the country's ambitious south-to-north water diversion plan, paying the way for the start of the construction work as early as next year.

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