BEIJING - A public information center was established in Beijing on Tuesday by the Ministry of Water Resources to promote water conservation, as well as the sustainable use of the precious resource.

"The center will be dedicated to enhancing knowledge of the severe water shortage in China among the public, boosting their awareness of saving water, and helping media outlets get more accurate, in-depth and up-to-the-minute sources in the sector," Chen Lei, minister of water resources, said at the opening ceremony.

Frequent disasters are now challenging China's water resource management, and the nation has made addressing the flooding and drought that has affected millions of people a top priority.

A total of 4 trillion yuan ($608 billion) will be invested in water conservation projects in the next 10 years, with China aiming to double its average annual spending of 200 billion yuan in 2010, according to the No 1 document issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council earlier this year.

The minister also encouraged media organizations to be more involved in the coverage of China's water resources management and conservancy campaigns, and promised to offer more services for media.