178
8 Groundwater Management
Table 8.1 (continued)
Provinces
Natural recharge resources
Exploitable volume
<1 g/l
1–3 g/l
3–5 g/l
Sum
<1 g/l
Macao
0.006
0.006
0.003
Sum
883.648
27.672
12.151
923.472
352.778
Source MLR (2010) Groundwater resources in China: result of new-round groundwater assessment.
https://wenku.baidu.com/view/4ac6288beff9aef8951e067b.html. Accessed 26 May 2020
Permission granted by MLR on its website subject to proper citation
Table 8.2 Groundwater distribution in China. Unit billion m 3
Region
Nation
Northern China
Southern China
Natural
resources
Exploitable
fresh volume
Natural
resources
Exploitable
fresh volume
Natural
resources
Exploitable
fresh volume
Plain
2,566.81 1,561.19
1,648.90 1,089.84
917.91
471.35
Mountainous
area
6,667.91 1,966.59
1,334.25
446.47
5,333.66 1,520.12
Sum
9,234.72 3,527.78
2,983.15 1,536.31
6,251.57 1,991.47
Source MLR (2010) Groundwater resources in China: result of new-round groundwater assessment.
https://wenku.baidu.com/view/4ac6288beff9aef8951e067b.html. Accessed 26 May 2020
Permission granted by MLR on its website subject to proper citation
According to the First National Census for Water, a total of 97.49 million wells
were drilled in China at the end of 2011, with an annual withdrawal of 108.4 billion
m
3 (Table 8.3) (MWR and National Bureau of Statistics 2013).
Generally, groundwater development has increased continuously since 1949. Only
in recent years, a decreasing trend has emerged. In the 1970s, the annual average
development volume was 57.2 billion m
3 , increasing to 74.8 billion m
3 in the 1980s
(MLR 2010). Increasing water demand due to rapid economic development after
1980 saw rapid groundwater development in the 1980s and 1990s (Lin 2004). During
1997–2017, the national groundwater development in China was between 100 and
115 billion m
3 . After the peak in 2013, there has been a clear decrease in volume
(MWR 1998–2018). As for its purposes, in 2010, 21% of groundwater supply was
utilized for domestic use, 18% for industrial use, and 61% for agriculture (Fig. 8.1).
8.1.3 Groundwater Development Problems
Due to the rapid development in the past 50 years, China is currently facing critical
groundwater resources problems.
Groundwater overdraft. Groundwater development in China increased from 64.7
to 103.9 billion m
3 during 1980–2005, with an annual increase rate of 1.91%. The
8 Groundwater Management
Table 8.1 (continued)
Provinces
Natural recharge resources
Exploitable volume
<1 g/l
1–3 g/l
3–5 g/l
Sum
<1 g/l
Macao
0.006
0.006
0.003
Sum
883.648
27.672
12.151
923.472
352.778
Source MLR (2010) Groundwater resources in China: result of new-round groundwater assessment.
https://wenku.baidu.com/view/4ac6288beff9aef8951e067b.html. Accessed 26 May 2020
Permission granted by MLR on its website subject to proper citation
Table 8.2 Groundwater distribution in China. Unit billion m 3
Region
Nation
Northern China
Southern China
Natural
resources
Exploitable
fresh volume
Natural
resources
Exploitable
fresh volume
Natural
resources
Exploitable
fresh volume
Plain
2,566.81 1,561.19
1,648.90 1,089.84
917.91
471.35
Mountainous
area
6,667.91 1,966.59
1,334.25
446.47
5,333.66 1,520.12
Sum
9,234.72 3,527.78
2,983.15 1,536.31
6,251.57 1,991.47
Source MLR (2010) Groundwater resources in China: result of new-round groundwater assessment.
https://wenku.baidu.com/view/4ac6288beff9aef8951e067b.html. Accessed 26 May 2020
Permission granted by MLR on its website subject to proper citation
According to the First National Census for Water, a total of 97.49 million wells
were drilled in China at the end of 2011, with an annual withdrawal of 108.4 billion
m
3 (Table 8.3) (MWR and National Bureau of Statistics 2013).
Generally, groundwater development has increased continuously since 1949. Only
in recent years, a decreasing trend has emerged. In the 1970s, the annual average
development volume was 57.2 billion m
3 , increasing to 74.8 billion m
3 in the 1980s
(MLR 2010). Increasing water demand due to rapid economic development after
1980 saw rapid groundwater development in the 1980s and 1990s (Lin 2004). During
1997–2017, the national groundwater development in China was between 100 and
115 billion m
3 . After the peak in 2013, there has been a clear decrease in volume
(MWR 1998–2018). As for its purposes, in 2010, 21% of groundwater supply was
utilized for domestic use, 18% for industrial use, and 61% for agriculture (Fig. 8.1).
8.1.3 Groundwater Development Problems
Due to the rapid development in the past 50 years, China is currently facing critical
groundwater resources problems.
Groundwater overdraft. Groundwater development in China increased from 64.7
to 103.9 billion m
3 during 1980–2005, with an annual increase rate of 1.91%. The