1.5 Key Water Resource Issues
21
1.5 Key Water Resource Issues 2
1.5.1 Serious Water Supply and Demand Conflict
MWR estimates that, in meeting normal demand and not over-exploiting groundwater, the water shortage in the country is about 50 km
3 in a normal year. Of more
than 660 cities nationwide, two-thirds suffer a water supply shortage. About 110 of
these cities are in a serious situation. Of 32 cities with a population of more than 1
million, 30 have long suffered from a water shortage. The annual amount of cultivated
land suffering from drought is more than 20 million ha.
Although as a general, total water use in China has been stabilized, the sectors are
differentiated. Domestic water demand is still increasing swiftly after about 40 years
of steady increase, caused by rapid urbanization and improved living conditions.
Industrial water use, which is heavily influenced by industrial policy, has not been
stable either. Demand for ecological and environmental use is increasing.
This discrepancy between water supply and demand results in water struggles
between industry and agriculture, between urban and rural areas, and between
regions, as well as encroachment of ecological water use and groundwater overexploitation in some regions.
1.5.2 Heavy Water Pollution
The discharge of pollutants has increased quickly over the past 40 years. A large
amount of wastewater is directly discharged into bodies of water without proper
treatment or meeting discharge standards. In addition to illegal discharge, agricultural
pesticides and chemical fertilizers contribute to the deteriorating water environment
in China.
According to MWR, in 2016, the water quality in 235,219 km of rivers was
assessed as Class I, II, III, III, IV, V
3 , and worse than V amounting to 6.5%, 48.3%,
22.1%, 9.6%, 3.7%, and 9.8%, respectively. Among nine primary water resource
zones, the water quality is generally better in the rivers in Southwest China, Northwest
2 the contents of this part mainly come from Shen (2014) Chap. 11 Water resources and its use. in:
Liu C et al. (eds) China hydrogeography. Science Press, Beijing.
3 Class I is mainly applicable to source water and national nature reserves;
Class II is mainly applicable to the first-level protection zone of the centralized surface drinking
water source, the habitat of rare aquatic organisms, the spawning grounds of fish and shrimps, and
the feeding grounds of larvae and juveniles;
Class III is mainly applicable to the second-level protection zone of the centralized surface
drinking water source, fish and shrimp wintering grounds, migration channels, fishery waters such
as aquaculture areas, etc., and swimming areas;
Class IV is mainly applicable to general industrial water-use areas and recreational water areas
without direct human body contact; andClass V is mainly applicable to agricultural water-use areas
and general landscape water areas.
21
1.5 Key Water Resource Issues 2
1.5.1 Serious Water Supply and Demand Conflict
MWR estimates that, in meeting normal demand and not over-exploiting groundwater, the water shortage in the country is about 50 km
3 in a normal year. Of more
than 660 cities nationwide, two-thirds suffer a water supply shortage. About 110 of
these cities are in a serious situation. Of 32 cities with a population of more than 1
million, 30 have long suffered from a water shortage. The annual amount of cultivated
land suffering from drought is more than 20 million ha.
Although as a general, total water use in China has been stabilized, the sectors are
differentiated. Domestic water demand is still increasing swiftly after about 40 years
of steady increase, caused by rapid urbanization and improved living conditions.
Industrial water use, which is heavily influenced by industrial policy, has not been
stable either. Demand for ecological and environmental use is increasing.
This discrepancy between water supply and demand results in water struggles
between industry and agriculture, between urban and rural areas, and between
regions, as well as encroachment of ecological water use and groundwater overexploitation in some regions.
1.5.2 Heavy Water Pollution
The discharge of pollutants has increased quickly over the past 40 years. A large
amount of wastewater is directly discharged into bodies of water without proper
treatment or meeting discharge standards. In addition to illegal discharge, agricultural
pesticides and chemical fertilizers contribute to the deteriorating water environment
in China.
According to MWR, in 2016, the water quality in 235,219 km of rivers was
assessed as Class I, II, III, III, IV, V
3 , and worse than V amounting to 6.5%, 48.3%,
22.1%, 9.6%, 3.7%, and 9.8%, respectively. Among nine primary water resource
zones, the water quality is generally better in the rivers in Southwest China, Northwest
2 the contents of this part mainly come from Shen (2014) Chap. 11 Water resources and its use. in:
Liu C et al. (eds) China hydrogeography. Science Press, Beijing.
3 Class I is mainly applicable to source water and national nature reserves;
Class II is mainly applicable to the first-level protection zone of the centralized surface drinking
water source, the habitat of rare aquatic organisms, the spawning grounds of fish and shrimps, and
the feeding grounds of larvae and juveniles;
Class III is mainly applicable to the second-level protection zone of the centralized surface
drinking water source, fish and shrimp wintering grounds, migration channels, fishery waters such
as aquaculture areas, etc., and swimming areas;
Class IV is mainly applicable to general industrial water-use areas and recreational water areas
without direct human body contact; andClass V is mainly applicable to agricultural water-use areas
and general landscape water areas.