YELLOW RIVER DELTA FACES NEW CHALLENGES

Steps taken to battle encroachment by sea caused by reduced flow, drop in silt

Dongying, where the Yel-low River flows into Bohai Bay in Shandong province, may be the fastest-growing city in the world.

Silt deposits from the river, in which 1 cubic meter of water can carry as much as 1.7 metric tons of the material, have increased the city's land area by 20 to 35 square kilometers annually.