About China Water

The water sector is one of China's top concerns for infrastructure development. However, problems associated with the increased demand for water in the country have been compounded by a drastic decrease in water quality in recent years. This decrease in water quality is the result of contamination by untreated industrial wastes and domestic sewage waters, along with leakage from outdated waste-treatment/disposal systems and contamination from agricultural fertilizers and pesticides. In some regions of China, drinking water is unavailable for weeks at a time, and when available, is of poor quality by world standards. This places serious limitations on economic development by creating major health problems and laying the seeds for possible future social unrest.

China's water concerns go further than just drinking water. The flooding of river systems displaces millions of people across the world on a frequent basis. The geographic distribution of water in China is uneven, with an abundant supply of water in the south, and regions of scarcity in the north. This imbalance is further intensified by the heavy deforestation that occurred during the 1940's through the 1960's. The loss of forests contributes to the loss of evapotranspiration (when condensation is quickly reintroduced into the atmosphere through evaporation), contributing to erosion and a decrease in precipitation levels in certain regions.

China's population will reach 1.6 billion people by the year 2030. How will those people be fed? China has limited new arable land, limited water resources, and a need to reduce land and water degradation for future generations. By collaborating with US participants, China will gain access to state-of-the-art technical and management tools to improve availability and quality of their water resources.