Water diversion project drives environmental improvements and provides new jobs for locals

Green industries such as eco-agriculture and tourism are helping to raise living standards along the program's central route, as Hou Liqiang reports from Shiyan, Hubei.

Tuesday marks the third anniversary of the start of operations of the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, a massive infrastructure program designed to transport water from the south of the country to the arid northern regions via three separate channels.

So far, more than 10 billion cubic meters of water have been carried to North China via the central route, benefiting more than 53 million people.