Water strategy

The government can never attach too much strategic importance to the water problem in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, given its position as one of the most important grain production bases, one of the most densely populated regions and the country's most developed area.

Records show that the seasonal water level in this part of the Yangtze has constantly reached the historical lows of at least 20 years every year in the last decade. The level this year is the lowest in recorded history. More than 1,000 reservoirs in Central China's Hubei province dropped to such a low level that 500,000 people face a shortage of drinking water.

It is high time that the government organized experts to find out the real cause of the problem and ascertain whether such water shortages will become increasingly severe. If that is the case, the government needs to pool resources to find solutions.