Water project to quench thirsty cities in Yunnan

The Ministry of Water Resources said it invested more than 5 billion yuan ($745 million) in 2018 in a water diversion project that aims to relieve severe water shortages in the central part of Yunnan province.

Another 7 billion yuan is expected to be invested this year, according to a news release provided by the ministry.

The project, approved in March, aims to draw water from a section of the Jinsha River in Yunnan's northwest to its central cities, including Chuxiong, Yuxi and Kunming. The area, which contains about one-third of the province's population, contributed more than half of the province's GDP, but has been severely hampered by a lack of water resources.