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8 Groundwater Management
China is a country with serious water shortages. Groundwater, particularly in
northern China, is a highly important source for guaranteeing drinking water supply
and facilitating social and economic development and ecological protection. In recent
decades, groundwater has provided about 20% of China’s water supply (MWR 1998–
2018). With increasing demand on exploration, managing groundwater is becoming
a critical issue in China, which has undertaken great efforts to develop a sound
groundwater resources management system.
8.1 Groundwater Resources and Development in China
8.1.1 Groundwater Resources
Regardless of assessment timing and methods, China has two sets of groundwater
resources data from the MWR and the geological department, respectively. The MLR
is responsible for groundwater resources from a mineral resources perspective, while
the MWR handles the water resources aspects. The groundwater resources assessed
by the MWR are discussed further in Sect. 1.3.2.
The groundwater resources managed by the MLR are as follows (Table 8.1).
According to the 2000–2002 national groundwater resources assessment, China has
annual average groundwater resources of 883.7 billion m
3 , or about one-third of
the country’s total freshwater resources. Of this amount, 656.1 billion m
3 is in
the mountainous areas and 227.6 billion m
3 is in the plains. The annual average
exploitable fresh groundwater volume is 352.7 billion m
3 , of which the mountainous
areas provide 196.6 billion m
3 , while the plains contribute 156.1 billion m
3 . In
addition, there are 27.7 billion m
3 of brackish groundwater resources with salinity
between 1 and 3 g/l and 12.1 billion m
3 of semi-saline groundwater resources with
salinity between 3 and 5 g/l. Southern China, with 69% of freshwater resources and
56% of the national total exploitable resources, has more groundwater resources than
northern China (MLR 2010).
According to the aquifer and storage volume, the natural pore groundwater is
281 billion m
3 , with an exploitable volume of 168.6 billion m
3 ; the natural cavern
groundwater resources amount to 211.6 billion m
3 , with an exploitable volume of
87 billion m
3 ; and the crevice groundwater resources are 430.8 billion m
3 , with an
exploitable volume of 97.1 billion m
3 (Table 8.2).
8.1.2 Groundwater Development and Use in China
Groundwater is an important source in northern China and many cities. Before the
mid-1960s, groundwater was less developed. However, by the end of the 1970s,
groundwater was widely developed in China to combat salinity.
8 Groundwater Management
China is a country with serious water shortages. Groundwater, particularly in
northern China, is a highly important source for guaranteeing drinking water supply
and facilitating social and economic development and ecological protection. In recent
decades, groundwater has provided about 20% of China’s water supply (MWR 1998–
2018). With increasing demand on exploration, managing groundwater is becoming
a critical issue in China, which has undertaken great efforts to develop a sound
groundwater resources management system.
8.1 Groundwater Resources and Development in China
8.1.1 Groundwater Resources
Regardless of assessment timing and methods, China has two sets of groundwater
resources data from the MWR and the geological department, respectively. The MLR
is responsible for groundwater resources from a mineral resources perspective, while
the MWR handles the water resources aspects. The groundwater resources assessed
by the MWR are discussed further in Sect. 1.3.2.
The groundwater resources managed by the MLR are as follows (Table 8.1).
According to the 2000–2002 national groundwater resources assessment, China has
annual average groundwater resources of 883.7 billion m
3 , or about one-third of
the country’s total freshwater resources. Of this amount, 656.1 billion m
3 is in
the mountainous areas and 227.6 billion m
3 is in the plains. The annual average
exploitable fresh groundwater volume is 352.7 billion m
3 , of which the mountainous
areas provide 196.6 billion m
3 , while the plains contribute 156.1 billion m
3 . In
addition, there are 27.7 billion m
3 of brackish groundwater resources with salinity
between 1 and 3 g/l and 12.1 billion m
3 of semi-saline groundwater resources with
salinity between 3 and 5 g/l. Southern China, with 69% of freshwater resources and
56% of the national total exploitable resources, has more groundwater resources than
northern China (MLR 2010).
According to the aquifer and storage volume, the natural pore groundwater is
281 billion m
3 , with an exploitable volume of 168.6 billion m
3 ; the natural cavern
groundwater resources amount to 211.6 billion m
3 , with an exploitable volume of
87 billion m
3 ; and the crevice groundwater resources are 430.8 billion m
3 , with an
exploitable volume of 97.1 billion m
3 (Table 8.2).
8.1.2 Groundwater Development and Use in China
Groundwater is an important source in northern China and many cities. Before the
mid-1960s, groundwater was less developed. However, by the end of the 1970s,
groundwater was widely developed in China to combat salinity.