How to combat water scarcity in China

Water resources management, highlighted in the No 1 central document issued in January, will in all probability be discussed at the annual sessions of the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

Water resources management is very important for China because the per capita availability of water in the country is about one-third of the world average. Per capita water availability in rain-starved northern China is only one-fourth of that in the southern parts. Many rivers and lakes have dried up in the northern parts, seriously degrading the environment. Yet the north is where almost half China's population lives, and where most of its corn, wheat and vegetables are grown.

Water is even scarcer in the western parts of China, which has few water sources to meet people's demands. The economic development of the region partly depends on over-exploitation of surface and groundwater sources.