China’s Ministry of Water Resources celebrated a string of record-breaking achievements at a recent press conference, showcasing the Chinese mainland’s massive water infrastructure built during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). 🌊
According to Minister Li Guoying, by the end of 2024, the country has completed 95,000 reservoirs, 200 large and medium water diversion projects, nearly 7,000 large-scale irrigation areas, and over 318,000 km of embankments. This network is on track to cover 80.3% of the nation’s water needs by 2025.
These water conservancy marvels aren’t just for show — they’re vital for stabilizing grain production, securing harvests, and giving urban and rural communities better access to tap water and irrigation. 🚜
Investment in water conservancy topped the 1-trillion-yuan mark for the first time in 2022 and smashed new records for three years straight. In 2024 alone, spending reached 1.35 trillion yuan ($190 billion). By the end of the 14th FYP, total investment is set to exceed 5.4 trillion yuan — 1.6 times the previous plan.
Since 2021, 172 major water conservancy projects have kicked off, optimizing the layout and integration of dams, reservoirs, and irrigation systems across the country. 🏗️
On the tech side, Zhang Xiangwei from the planning department highlighted the leap forward in intelligent dam construction. Twelve pilot smart dams are already running, and a national platform now monitors over 62,000 reservoirs with real-time rainfall and hydrological data. More than 55,000 dam sites have upgraded safety equipment, giving communities an extra layer of protection. 🤖
By weaving traditional engineering with modern tech, the Chinese mainland is setting a new global benchmark for water management — and ensuring a safer, more sustainable future for millions. 🌱
Reference(s):
China highlights water infrastructure achievements during 14th FYP
cgtn.com
