Shortage of water resources, aggravation of water pollution, over-exploitation of underground water and low efficiency of water usage have continuously sharpened the imbalance between water supply and demand in China. Currently, two-thirds of all Chinese cities don't have enough water all year round.

During a recent Sino-British Water Supervision and Management Mechanism Seminar, Zhai Haohui, Vice Minister of Water Resources, revealed that more than 400 of the nation's cities suffered from insufficient water supply, and 110 of these faced a comparatively severe situation. He placed the total annual urban water shortage at 6 billion cubic meters.

Zhao said the Chinese population expected to peak at 1.6 billion by the year 2030, when the per capita water resource figure would only amount to 1,750 cubic meters a year, one of the world's lowest. At that time, annual total water usage is expected to amount to 700-800 billion cubic meters. The pressure of demand on water supply capability will have increased by 130-230 billion cubic meters by then.

But, the water resources available for actual use are already near their upper limit and development of further resources poses many difficulties, he added.

Zhai said that to realize the goal of rational allocation and sustainable development of water resources, local governments would have to establish water management administration integrating urban and rural flood control, water resources, water supply, water usage, water drainage, and wastewater processing and recycling. Currently, over 50 percent of the administrative areas above county-level in the country have already done so.

Zhai added that following the issuance of a series of policies on municipal public undertaking reform, China's water industry will gradually establish a water management system that involves the separation of the functions of the enterprises from those of the government. It will establish a special permission system for the water industry and realize its market potential, as well as the legalization of industrial supervision and management.

(China.org.cn translated by Li Jingrong September 26, 2003)