国内英语资讯:Xi Focus: How China is tackling its water stress_时事

国内英语资讯:Xi Focus: How China is tackling its water stress

A bigger problem is uneven distribution. Most of the water shortages are in the parched north where industries and agriculture concentrate.

The international definition of water scarcity is 1,000 cubic meters of usable water per person per year. Beijing, even after receiving supply from the south, has only less than one-sixth of that amount.

Over the years, apart from the construction of large projects to balance water supplies, China's top leadership has stepped up efforts to protect the resources.

"Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets." Since Xi took office as Chinese president, he has repeatedly called for concerted efforts to promote ecological protection.

In September, Xi demanded better use of water resources in the Yellow River, with rational planning of the population, urban and industrial development to resolutely curb unreasonable water demand.

The Yellow River, known as China's "Mother River" and the cradle of Chinese civilization, feeds about 12 percent of China's population, irrigates about 15 percent of arable land, supports 14 percent of national GDP, and supplies water to more than 60 cities.

"The protection of the Yellow River is critical to the great rejuvenation and sustainable development of the Chinese nation," said Xi, adding that it is a major national strategy.

Across the nation, China's top leadership has rolled out "river chief" and "lake chief" systems to assign each waterway in the country a specific steward to prevent pollution, which have produced remarkable effects.