Society

China launches national Water Week campaign

By LIANG CHAO (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2011-03-22 20:40

China launches its national water week campaign for 2011 on Tuesday in Beijing with the theme of carrying out strict water conservation measures to fight water shortages to mark the year’s World Water Day.

Along with the campaign, water authorities also initiate water laws and regulations popularization to fully raise people’s awareness of the critical situation facing the country today and intensify its efforts to manage water resources by law, a leading water official said.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the national water day, Chen Lei, minister of water resources, said that, through the campaign, he hopes people from all walks of life can well understand China’s worsening water situation, show great concerns about the development of water conservancy and press ahead legalization of water management.

According to Chen, based on China’s Water Law, the country has succeeded in forming a system of laws, which covers four laws about water, 17 related administrative regulations, 54 department rules plus some 800 local regulations put into effect by authorities across the country.

The laws and rules have helped enhance the decision-making capacity of authorities in various levels, intensify their law enforcement, solve or mediate growing water disputes triggered by ever-increasing water supply demand throughout the country.

With the help of China’s 6th national law popularization slated to be launched in the next five years beginning from this year, water law education and publicity are expected to be carried down to the grassroots with people in institutes, villages, neighborhoods, schools and enterprises being aware of laws and regulations governing water management and issues.

The World Water Day 2011 falls into Tuesday and observed worldwide. The theme Day, the 19th of its kind, for this year is “Water for Cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge”.

China marked the day by choosing the theme of “putting the strictest management measures of water resources into practice for making a strides in developing water conservancy”.

The measures will focus on three “red lines” or security lines -- water overexploitation, water usage efficiency and pollution control -- Chen said.

China will intensify efforts to accelerate the development of the nation’s water conservancy and promote the sustainable use of water resources, he said by quoting the central government’s No 1 document, which was issued early this year and usually reflects government priorities each year.

The No 1 document sets targets to improve China's relatively backward water conservancy situation over the next five to 10 years with 4 trillion yuan ($608 billion, pls check it) being invested into projects during the next decade to improve water conservation.

China suffers a 40-billion-cubic-meter water shortage annually, with two thirds of over 600 cities having trouble accessing water.

Water safety problems have been tackled for 210 million rural residents and existing rural water problems will be solved by 2013, with new problems being tackled by the end of the 12th five-year plan period (2011-2015), Chen said.