Northern China Is One of World's Most Water Deficient AreasNorthern China is one of the most water deficient areas in the world, according to official statistics.China is one of the 13 water deficient countries in the world, with per-capita water resources available standing at 2,200 cubic meters, one quarter of the world¡¯s average. The regional distribution of China¡¯s water resources is extremely uneven, with the possession of water per person in the northern region accounting for only one third of the nation¡¯s average. The per-capita possession of water resources in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, one of the most densely populated areas and a well-developed area in China, is less than one-sixth of China¡¯s average, ranging from 150 to 320 cubic meters. Prolonged drought in northern China over the past few years has caused water shortages in many cities, forced some enterprises to suspend operations, and led to lower grain production. Experts predict that when China¡¯s population peaks at 1.6 billion in 2030, the per-capita possession of water resources will plummet by 25 percent, with that in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area plunging to 110 to 240 cubic meters. They warn that water shortages will seriously affect China¡¯s economic and social development. China¡¯s water resources are both ¡°deficient and unevenly distributed,¡± they note. Its ground water flow averages 2.8 trillion cubic meters annually, with 80 percent distributed in the Yangtze River Valley and the areas south of Yangtze. To ease water shortages in northern China, the late Chairman Mao Zedong announced the plan to divert water from south to north shortly after the founding of New China in 1949. Experts have drawn up a plan to divert water from south to north from three routes, namely, the eastern route, the central route and the western route. Upon completion, the water diversion project will supply 50 billion cubic meters of water a year to northern China, equaling the annual flow of the Yellow River, thus substantially easing water shortages in the north. |
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