 |
China Seeks to Relieve Severe Drought
An unusually long spell of drought has incited the Chinese people to adopt more measures to quench their thirst than just waiting for rain, which includes recycling water and exploring new water resources.
A high-ranking official with the Ministry of Water Resources told the press today that many emergency measures are being taken to relieve severe drought in north China. The measures are: reducing water consumption for daily use, enhancing management of water supply, limiting the unnecessary use of water, and raising water prices.
The drought, the worst in the past decade, has since spring caused a shortage in water supply in 364 Chinese cities, the home to 21.98 million people, according to Zhang Jiyao, vice minister of Water Resources.
Dry conditions are especially serious in north China, one of the country's most populous regions and a major grain producer.
In some cities in east China's Shandong Peninsula, the average water supply for each resident has dropped to about 1.5 cubic meters per month, Zhang said.
Farmers also suffer much since 28 million hectares of farmland and 1.3 million hectares of paddy field have been affected, and the figures are believed the highest in the past 10 years, he said.
The State Council, China's cabinet, has sent seven working groups to the drought-stricken areas since June 10, hoping to find some practical solutions.
"To save water from being wasted or unnecessarily used is a key method to ensure water supply in cities and rural areas," Zhang said, adding that new water resources can be found through tapping underground water and recycling.
The government plans to set up a water pricing system, which will adopt a "stair price" for various water consumption and a penalty price for excess use over the planned water amount, he said.
The dry spell, Zhang said, is mainly caused by much less rainfall, hot atmosphere, frequent sand storms and lower water level in lakes and reservoirs.
While the average rainfall received this year is 10 to 20 percent less than the same period of the previous year, the temperature is two to three degrees centigrade higher than before, particularly in the cities of Beijing and Tianjin and Hebei Province, he said.
Sandstorms are becoming a frequent visitor to north China, which hit the area 18 times in the March-May period.
The vice minister acknowledged that the water shortage has emerged as the leading water problem in China, even more serious than flooding and deterioration of water quality.
"Comprehensive efforts must be taken to tackle the problem, which should include protection and conservation of water resources, efficient management of water supply, readjustment of industrial structure, and diverting projects," he said.
The Chinese government plans to divert water of the Yangtze River in the south, the country's longest, to the thirsty regions in the north. The massive project is believed to be the fundamental solution to the water shortage in north China, according to Zhang.
In This Section
|