Two-thirds of China cities face water shortages
Pastor Dale Morgan
Two-thirds of China cities face water shortages*
26 Nov 2006 03:19:05 GMT
Source: Reuters
BEIJING, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Two-thirds of Chinese cities face water
shortages, state media reported on Friday, one of the top problems
facing the rapidly urbanising landscape.
More than 400 cities had water shortages, with 100 of them "in serious
trouble", lacking enough water to support industry or daily life, the
China Daily quoted an unamed official from the Ministry of Water
Resources as saying.
The problem was compounded by pollution, with 45 billion tonnes of
untreated waste water pumped directly into lakes and rivers, the report
said.
Per capita water resources in the world's most populous country are less
than a third of the global average, and falling.
The government also predicts 400 million rural residents will move into
China's cities in the next 20 years, and the rapid urbanisation is
expected to put a further strain on resources.
Already, water levels in the upper reaches of the Yellow River, China's
longest, have hit a historic low, and the country is considering massive
engineering schemes to divert water to the parched north of the country.