China has announced a plan to step up efforts to desalinate seawater in a bid to cope with its water shortage problems in coastal areas.

According to the plan jointly issued by the State Development and Reform Commission, the National Bureau of Oceanography and the Ministry of Finance, desalinated seawater is expected to contribute 16 to 24 percent of the water supply in coastal areas in 2010, with a daily capacity of 800,000 to one million cubic meters.

The daily capacity is expected to reach 2.5 to 3 million cubic meters in 2020.

The plan says that China will develop more seawater desalination projects in the coming years to relieve the water shortage in its coastal areas.

Desalinated seawater will also be used for industrial purposes, according to the plan.

China's per capita fresh water is only one-fourth of the world's average. It is one of the 13 countries in the world with the lowest per capita fresh water.

Of China's 600 cities, 400 have to deal with an insufficient water supply.

(Xinhua News Agency October 18, 2005)