Since its launch 10 years ago, the first phase of the eastern and central routes of China's South-North Water Diversion Project have diverted 76.5 billion cubic meters of water, providing critical relief to the country's drought-prone northern regions.
The project, the largest of its kind in the world, connects major river basins in China, including the Yangtze, Huai, Yellow and Hai rivers, creating a national water grid that optimizes resource allocation.
In Beijing, two out of every three glasses of water a resident drinks or uses come from over a thousand kilometers away. This is because of a massive water diversion project that has not only significantly alleviated the water shortage in the capital city, but also greatly improved its water supply security. And Beijing is not the only city reaping the benefits of this ambitious project.
"The project has effectively improved the allocation of water resources. For instance, in Beijing, groundwater reliance has been significantly reduced due to an increased supply of surface water from the South. Additionally, water quality has also improved, with many regions now enjoying class one and two water, [which is] suitable for drinking and ecosystem health," Wang Yisen, former chief engineer of the project, said recently.
Wang said that the implementation of three guiding principles has ensured the project's sustainability: prioritizing water-saving and pollution control, minimizing the ecological impact, and aligning water transfer plans with social and economic development.
Advanced planning and adaptive management strategies mitigate risks, such as potential downstream impacts on the Yangtze River.
"From the beginning, ecological protection has been a top priority. Measures like pollution control along transfer routes and detailed hydrological studies have ensured minimal environmental disruption. For example, concerns about schistosomiasis transmission were thoroughly addressed, confirming the parasite cannot survive in northern climates," he said.
The South-North Water Diversion Project stands as a testament to China's commitment to balancing development with environmental stewardship.
As the project moves into its next phase, with the western route still in the planning stages, the engineer says challenges posed by global climate change and lessons learned from past experiences will fully be taken into consideration, with the goal of strengthening water security in dry regions across the country.
China's mega water diversion project marks 10 years, alleviating regional water imbalance
