A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Challenges to and Opportunities for Development of China's Water Resources in the 21st Century
The People's Republic of China is a developing country. Great achievements during the past 40 years have attracted worldwide attention, especially the fact that 22 per cent of the world population were sustained by only 7 per cent of the world's farmland. However the sustainable economic and social development of China is and will be facing serious challenges more critical than those that have happened in any part of the world. Water is a particular problem. The shortage of water that is almost inevitable in China is due to the following:
The heavy burden overpopulation places on development in the foreseeable future.
Compulsory development of irrigated agriculture as new reclaimable farmland is not adequate to satisfy increasing food demand.
The rapid' increase in water demand by industry that is now still in its initial stage.
Increase in domestic water demand due to growth of urban populations and improvement in their living standards.
Degradation of the water environment due to pollution, deforestation, soil erosion, overpumping of groundwater siltation of estuaries, salinization, and alkalization of farmland, desertification, etc.
Deficiencies in funding.
In spite of the serious situation mentioned above, opportunities for development of water resources in the 21st century do exist as follows:
Practice of water-saving strategies in the entire country, including industry, agriculture, and domestic life.
Coordination of economic development with water resources development; rational compositional structure of industry and agriculture; rational layout of the township system.
Implementation of large-scale inter-basin water transfer projects within the bearing capacity of natural environment.
Control of water pollution and improvement of the ecological environment.
Large-scale afforestation, as well as water and soil conservation works.
Better water resources management through legislative, technical, and educational measures, and through systematic training.
Control of overpopulation, which is of the utmost importance.
Challenges to and Opportunities for Development of China's Water Resources in the 21st Century
The People's Republic of China is a developing country. Great achievements during the past 40 years have attracted worldwide attention, especially the fact that 22 per cent of the world population were sustained by only 7 per cent of the world's farmland. However the sustainable economic and social development of China is and will be facing serious challenges more critical than those that have happened in any part of the world. Water is a particular problem. The shortage of water that is almost inevitable in China is due to the following:
The heavy burden overpopulation places on development in the foreseeable future.
Compulsory development of irrigated agriculture as new reclaimable farmland is not adequate to satisfy increasing food demand.
The rapid' increase in water demand by industry that is now still in its initial stage.
Increase in domestic water demand due to growth of urban populations and improvement in their living standards.
Degradation of the water environment due to pollution, deforestation, soil erosion, overpumping of groundwater siltation of estuaries, salinization, and alkalization of farmland, desertification, etc.
Deficiencies in funding.
In spite of the serious situation mentioned above, opportunities for development of water resources in the 21st century do exist as follows:
Practice of water-saving strategies in the entire country, including industry, agriculture, and domestic life.
Coordination of economic development with water resources development; rational compositional structure of industry and agriculture; rational layout of the township system.
Implementation of large-scale inter-basin water transfer projects within the bearing capacity of natural environment.
Control of water pollution and improvement of the ecological environment.
Large-scale afforestation, as well as water and soil conservation works.
Better water resources management through legislative, technical, and educational measures, and through systematic training.
Control of overpopulation, which is of the utmost importance.
Challenges to and Opportunities for Development of China's Water Resources in the 21st Century
Zezhen, Zhang (author) / Bingxin, Chen (author) / Zhikai, Chen (author) / Xinyi, Xu (author)
Water International ; 17 ; 21-27
1992-01-01
7 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
Unknown
Sustainable Development for the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities for Light Metals
| British Library Online Contents | 2009
Water Resources in the 21st Century
| Taylor & Francis Verlag | 1991
21st century water challenges in Kenya
| British Library Conference Proceedings | 1994
Masonry: opportunities for the 21st century
| TIBKAT | 2002