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China to Face Water Tension in 30 Years
China will face serious water resources problem when its population is expected to peak at 1.6 billion in 2030, according to a report released Wednesday by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE).
The report, titled "Strategy of Water Resources of Sustainable Development in China", predicts that the per capita amount of water resources in China will fall from its current 2,200 cubic meters to 1,760 cubic meters in 30 years.
According to an international standard, a country will experience a water shortage if its per capita water resources is under 1,700 cubic meters.
The report was completed by 43 academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering and nearly 300 experts.
China's annual volume of water utilization will reach 700 billion to 800 billion cubic meters around 2030, approximating the limit of China's usable water resources, which is, 800 billion to 950 billion cubic meters, says the report.
As China strengthens its control over the population, the increase of water utilization should also be checked when its population reaches 1.6 billion, the report stresses.
The report suggests that China should adopt new strategies, such as water-saving agriculture, urban water pollution control and sustainable water utilization, to ease the overuse of water.
During a forum on China's water resources sponsored by CAE today, experts discussed issues including flood prevention, agricultural and urban water usage, controlling water pollution and protecting water resources.
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