According to new municipal regulations released yesterday,
people wasting water in the capital from May 1 will face fines of
up to 30,000 yuan (US$3,600). The announcement came as a senior
official reminded a high-level gathering of the challenges of water
shortages.
Liu Ning, chief engineer from the Ministry of Water Resources,
said the water supply, vital to sustainable development, is likely
to be stretched to its limit by 2030 as the population reaches 1.6
billion, with an urbanization rate of about 60 percent.
"Without integrated water resource management, the total annual
supply will reach 800 to 900 billion cubic meters in the next 25
years or hit the limit of the country's total water supply," said
Liu.
Beijing's new rules ban the use of clean water for gardening,
for which rainwater and recycled water should be used, whilst
unapproved use of water for public supply or fire control could
attract a minimum fine of 10,000 yuan (US$1,200).
Quotas on household use were rejected in the face of public
opposition to higher charges for overuse, and a suggested
stipulation to cut the supply of those who refused to pay was also
ruled out.??
According to experts, China's water supply will fall 11 billion
cubic meters short of demand each year despite increased supply
capacity.
Over the past 20 years, water has become a major factor
affecting the environment and its shortage poses a threat to
sustainable development, said Wang Hao, executive secretary of
Global Water Partnership China (GWP China), a non-governmental
organization.
"It is a must for China to use integrated water resource
management for future sustainability," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, April 20, 2005)