Water diversion project essential for supply

China's massive water diversion project has transferred 5.2 billion cubic meters of water to capital Beijing over the past five years, a senior municipal official said on Thursday.

The first phase of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project has directly benefited more than 12 million people in Beijing since it went into operation on Dec 12, 2014, according to Liu Guangming, deputy head of Beijing Water Authority.

The project has not only secured the public water supply, but also improved the city's water resource structure.

Beijing's per-capita water resources have been raised from 100 to 150 cubic meters over the past five years, which has greatly eased the water shortage in the capital, he said.

"The water from the south has also ensured the water supply for key projects such as Beijing's sub city center and Daxing International Airport," he added.

In addition to residential water use, the water from the south also goes to Beijing's major reservoirs and rivers, which is beneficial for the city's water resource structure.

From 1999 to 2014, Beijing's water table has been falling 1 meter on average per year.

Since the water diversion project started in late 2014, Beijing's water table stopped falling in 2016 and rose by around three meters by May compared with the same period in 2015.

Groundwater resources were increased by 1.62 cubic meters during the same period, according to authorities.

China's per-capita water resources are 28 percent of the world's average. Water is abundant in the south but scarce in the north, making the water diversion project urgently needed.