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Water shortage threatens China
By Li Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-02-09 08:01 China's water scarcity China's water resources are scarce and unevenly distributed. China's renewable water resources amount to about 2,841 cu km per year, the sixth largest in the world.
The uneven distribution of the water resources, both spatially and temporarily, has made the problems more severe. In northern part of China, the water availability per capita is only 757 cu m per year, one-eleventh of the world average, and is well below the threshold level of "water scarcity", which is 1000 cu m per year. The scarcity is most severe in the Hai River basin, which sits in Beijing and neighboring Tianjin, where the 120 million inhabitants have only 300 cu m per year for each person. The precipitation pattern further intensifies the uneven distribution of water resources. With a strong monsoonal climate, China is subject to highly variable rainfalls that contribute to frequent droughts and floods, which also happen simultaneously in different regions. The poor water productivity in the country, which is $ 3.6 per cu m, is lower than the average of $ 4.8 per cu m in middle-income countries, and $ 35.8 per cu m in high-income countries. Water use in agricultural sector accounts for 65 percent of the country's total. But only 45 percent are actually consumed on crops, due to extensive waste in irrigation systems. The industrial sector takes up 24 percent of the total water consumption in the country. The recycling rate is only 40 percent, compared to 75-85 percent in developed countries. China's water scarcity is also aggravated by extensive pollution. Over the past three decades, despite efforts to control it, water pollution has increased spreading from the coast to inland areas, and from the surface water to underground water resources. It was not until 2007 that the rising trend of water pollution began to show a sign of reversal, as total emissions of chemical oxygen demand (COD) dropped 3.14 percent over the 2006 level. "Rural water pollution has become increasingly serious in the recent years, because its non-point pollution source is more difficult to manage than industrial pollution," said Wang Manchuan, from China National School of Administration. "The country is still looking for effective measures to curb the water pollution in rural areas," Wang said. Every year, there about 25 cu km of water is unfit for consumption as a result of pollution. To make up for the water shortage, as much as 24 cu km of water are drawn from underground aquifers that are not being replenished, creating a vicious circle. (For more biz stories, please visit Industries)
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