Even if steps to improve conservation are undertaken, the
country's thirst for water is expected to approach the limit of the
available resources by 2030, a State Council circular released on
Thursday said.
The document included a call for immediate and comprehensive
measures to address the situation.
"Drought and water scarcity have become increasingly severe in
recent years as a result of amplified socioeconomic development and
global warming," the circular, published on the central government
website (www.gov.cn), said.
The document said droughts have never been as frequent,
widespread or destructive and have extended to all corners of the
country, harming the water supply for both agriculture and
industry.
According to the document, more than half of China's arable land
is beyond the reach of irrigation equipment, much of which is
either obsolete or not up to the task ahead. The emergency water
plans for both urban and rural areas are vulnerable. Many cities
still have minimal water supply sources.
Days before the circular was released, Hui Liangyu, a
vice-premier and chief of the Office of State Flood Control and
Drought Relief Headquarters (SFDH), said the top priority in the
fight against drought should be maintaining the safety of drinking
water.
Since October, a severe drought has affected more than 1 million
hectares of farmland in the South and led to water supply shortages
in some areas. The Pearl River received the least rain of the
preceding five decades from October to November.
Almost a quarter of a million people in Guangdong Province face
drinking water shortages, the provincial hydraulics bureau reported
on Thursday.
It said 249,000 people and 73,300 hectares of cropland in
Guangdong have been affected by the shortage. The drought has also
dried up 133 reservoirs in the province.
Between January and early December, Guangdong received only
1,450 mm of rain, down nearly 20 percent on normal years.
This year's drought, which is predicted to last through the
coming spring, is the worst in a decade, the SFDH has said. Almost
40 million hectares of farmland have been affected.
In addition, 20.4 million urban residents and 27.6 million
farmers have had to rely on limited drinking water supplies over
the past year.
The SFDH issued a circular earlier this month that required
government departments to ensure drinking water safety and to
maintain an agricultural water supply for the winter and
spring.
And the Ministry of Finance announced on Monday to allocate 70
million yuan ($9.46 million) to finance drought relief programs for
the South.
(China Daily December 15, 2007)