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Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held in 2012, President Xi Jinping has made it a strategic priority to ensure the sustainable development of the Chinese nation and has been personally involved in designing, arranging, and promoting water management projects. He put forward the water management approaches of “prioritizing water conservation, balancing the distribution of water resources, improving governance of ecosystems, and leveraging the market’s role in allocating resources and the government’s role in oversight and regulation,” forming a scientific, logical, and structured theoretical system of water conservation. This system addresses issues of great theoretical and practical importance, such as the need for good water management, the appropriate water management required, and the ways and methods for conducting water management in the new era which began in 2012, providing a powerful tool for water conservation in China.

I. Forming consensus with Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, especially President Xi’s discourses on water management, China’s overall capacity to prevent floods and droughts has improved by leaps and bounds, and a historic solution has been reached to ensure access to safe drinking water in rural areas. Profound changes have taken place in water utilization practices, and the configuration of China’s water resources has been optimized. The country’s rivers and lakes have been transformed, and its capacity to manage water conservation has systematically improved. In the first decade of the new era from 2012 to 2022, China has achieved great progress in water conservation, marking a milestone in the history of its water management.

II. Developing modern water conservation infrastructure

In the report to the 20th CPC National Congress delivered in October 2022, Xi Jinping pointed out that to build a modern socialist country, we must, first and foremost, pursue high-quality development as well as put in place a modern infrastructure system with a better layout and framework, more effective functions, and greater system integration. Water conservation is fundamental to and an important driving force of high-quality development. Proactive and appropriate investment in water conservation infrastructure can not only ensure the provision of safe water for socioeconomic development, but it can unleash domestic demand potential and utilize the investment multiplier effect. It can boost the dynamism and reliability of the domestic economy and has the important effects of maintaining growth, assisting restructuring, improving public wellbeing, and promoting development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, President Xi has inspected on multiple occasions key water conservation projects, such as the Three Gorges Dam and the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, researched and planned how to bolster water conservation infrastructure, and put together plans for the development of China’s national water network. The Ministry of Water Resources has worked hard to implement President Xi’s initiatives, breaking ground on a host of major strategic water conservation projects, thereby strengthening China’s capacity to coordinate allocations of water resources, ensure sufficient water supply, and retain strategic reserves. In 2022, China’s investment in water conservation reached a historic high of one trillion yuan, and new records (since 1949) have been set in terms of the scale of water conservation infrastructure construction, including the amounts of financial capital and nongovernment capital invested.

The Dongfei River Lock on the Yangtze River to Lake Chaohu and Huaihe River Diversion Project. The project is one of 172 major water conservation and supply projects in China. It also constitutes a public interest project with water supply, transportation, and ecological conservation functions. MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES

On the new journey ahead, while pursuing high-quality development as our overarching task, we must fully and faithfully apply the new development philosophy. In an effort to build a strong and modern socialist country, we need to set out our near-, medium-, and long-term plans, take care of strategic prepositioning work, and adopt forward-thinking plans that promote strategic water conservation projects. We need to quickly optimize the layout, structure, functions, and integration of our water conservation infrastructure. We need to build a national water network that is well-equipped, safe, reliable, intensive, efficient, green, intelligent, and orderly and has smooth and unhindered circulation, as well as strengthen support for major national strategies and high-quality socioeconomic development. Specifically, we must endeavor to accelerate the construction of the framework and major arteries of the national water network and promote the completion of the revised plans for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in accordance with new requirements in major national strategies, the new water resource supply and demand dynamic, changes in project functions, and new environmental protection concepts. We also need to understand fully the features of each of the eastern, middle, and western routes of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, push forward the high-quality development of follow-up projects, and refine long-term risk prevention mechanisms to ensure project safety and water supply and quality. Based on the overall layout of the national water network as well as major national strategies and plans and regional water security requirements, we need to promote the orderly planning and construction of regional water networks, accelerate the construction of major water diversion projects, and protect key water sources. With the focus on increasing China’s strength in agriculture and bringing up China’s grain production capacity by 50 million tons, we will quickly formulate plans to develop farmland irrigation nationwide, advance the construction of auxiliary facilities and modernization of medium- and large-scale irrigation areas, and consolidate fundamental support for food security and water conservation. We must improve the water network systems of counties, cities, and provinces and ensure that there are appropriate links between them, accelerate the planning and construction of provincial water networks, and build a network characterized by connectivity and joint regulation and control. We need to develop provincial water network pilot zones and promote the orderly development of county and city water networks. We also need to complete water projects and networks in rural areas tailored to local conditions in order to better guarantee the supply of water.

III. Boosting scientific and technological innovation in water conservation

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress stated that we must regard science and technology as our primary productive force, talent as our primary resource, and innovation as our primary driver of growth and open up new areas and new arenas in development and steadily foster new growth drivers and new strengths. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, President Xi has issued a series of decisions and plans on the in-depth implementation of the strategy for invigorating China through science and education, the workforce development strategy, and the innovation-driven development strategy as well as proposed clear requirements regarding the shift to digitalized, Internet-based, and smart-tech waterway facilities. Following many years of arduous efforts, great progress has been made in scientific and technological innovations in water conservation, increasing the areas in which we have caught up with and surpassed other countries. The total number of highly qualified personnel working in water conservation has constantly increased, but we still urgently need to improve our capacity for scientific and technological innovations. The new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating and deepening, with the emergence of various new technologies and applications. More than ever before, the high-quality development of water conservation requires the supporting and leading role of scientific and technological innovation and the brainpower of scientific and technological personnel.

On the new journey ahead, scientific and technological innovation related to water conservation must be targeted at the global frontiers of science and technology, national economic development, the major needs of the country, and the health and safety of the people. We must implement the innovation-driven development strategy and accelerate efforts to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology in the field of water conservation. In accordance with the requirements to be demand-driven, prioritize practical applications, achieve digital empowerment, and enhance capabilities, we will coordinate the development of digital twin watersheds, water networks, and engineering projects, as well as a digital twin water conservation system with forecasting, early warning, simulation, and planning functions, and continue to promote smart business applications to support water conservation. To meet China’s strategic needs in the field of water conservation, we will concentrate resources on original and pioneering scientific and technological research, boost basic scientific research, strengthen the construction of platforms for scientific and technological innovation, and promote industrial applications of scientific and technological advances. We will further the reform of systems and mechanisms for talent development, provide training and employment to young talent, and put together a team of world-class scientific and technological personnel, leaders, and innovators in water conservation, so as to create a large, well-structured, and vibrant team of water conservation talent who are passionate about their work and can make water conservation in China a success.

IV. Enhancing the legal standing and quality of water conservation

The report to the 20th CPC National Congress stated that we must give better play to the role of the rule of law in consolidating foundations, ensuring stable expectations, and delivering long-term benefits, and we must strive to build a modern socialist country under the rule of law. It also stated that we must make greater efforts to advance reform and explore new ground as well as work hard to remove deep-seated institutional barriers. A sound legal system and well-conceived institutions and mechanisms will ensure that our governance system and capacity advance with the times. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, President Xi has issued many requirements and plans regarding improvements to the institutions, mechanisms, and laws related to water conservation management. In doing so, he has emphasized the need to enhance systems for managing river basins, coordination mechanisms for trans-regional management, law enforcement and supervision mechanisms pertaining to lakes, and joint control and law enforcement for the protection of river basin environments. In recent years, notable progress has been made regarding law-based water management with the promulgation of laws and regulations, such as the Yangtze River Protection Law, the Yellow River Protection Law, and Regulations on Groundwater Management. We have also made breakthroughs in the reform of water conservation investment and financing and advanced the reform of market-based trading of water-use rights.

On the new journey ahead, we must maintain a goal- and problem-oriented approach and continue to remove institutional barriers and introduce policy innovations, in order to raise the governance capacity and standards related to water conservation. We will improve water conservation laws and strive to study, publicize, and implement the Yangtze River Protection Law and the Yellow River Protection Law. We will quickly develop supporting systems, improve the system of laws and regulations related to water conservation, and strengthen links between administrative law enforcement and both criminal justice and handling of public interest litigation. We will carry out targeted law enforcement in key areas, promote law-based administration, and continuously improve our ability to use law-based thinking and methods to solve problems in water conservation. We will strengthen management of river basins, apply systems thinking to river basins, and enhance unified planning, governance, control, and management of river basins. We will improve the river basin planning system, promote the coordinated protection and management of river basins, implement river basin water projects for joint and unified control, and promote joint prevention, control, and management involving upstream and downstream sections, left and right banks, and mainstreams and tributaries. We will further reforms in key areas, ensure both the government and the market play their respective roles, and make breakthroughs in innovative and diversified forms of investment and financing and in greater use of the role of the market and financial instruments. We will also improve the mechanism for determining costs of water supply from water conservation projects and actively yet steadily promote the comprehensive price reform of water for agricultural purposes.

V. Boosting protection and management of water resources

In the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, President Xi stated that respecting, adapting to, and protecting nature is essential for building China into a modern socialist country and vowed to make concerted efforts to improve aquatic environments, water resources, and aquatic ecosystems as well as strengthen ecological conservation of major rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. China’s many rivers and lakes have sustained countless generations of people and nourished its ancient and deep-rooted culture. President Xi has always taken a keen interest in China’s natural landscape. He has held symposiums on the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, conducted a thorough inspection of the Yellow River from its source to its estuary, planned the development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, and established a national rivers strategy. China’s system of appointing river and lake chiefs is now fully in place, which has helped to solve many longstanding environmental issues associated with rivers and lakes and revitalize growing numbers of rivers and river basins. In recent years, with the implementation of the Mother River Restoration Campaign, a number of rivers such as Yongding, Chaobai, and Hutuo have had their water flow restored along their entire courses, all sections of the Grand Canal between Beijing and Hangzhou have been made navigable for the first time in a century, the ecological water regime rating of Lake Baiyangdian has reached 100%, and most rivers and lakes in north China now have sufficient and clean water.

The Qujiadian Water Conservation Hub in Tianjin opens its gates to discharge water into the Yongding River, May 12, 2022. This was the first time that water flowed along all 865 kilometers of the Yongding River during the spring season after it dried up in 1996. The river also joined the fully replenished Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, marking the first time in a century that the two waters converged. MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES

On the new journey ahead, we must uphold and act on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets. Beginning with river basins, we will take a holistic and systematic approach to the conservation and improvement of mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, grasslands, and deserts, and coordinate planning of upstream and downstream areas, left and right banks, and mainstream and tributaries. We will promote the continuous recovery of river and lake ecosystems and ensure they remain healthy. We will thoroughly implement the Mother River Restoration Campaign, improve the standard of ecological protection of rivers and lakes, and comprehensively carry out river and lake health assessments. We will continue water charging along the Grand Canal, conduct targeted and regular water charging of rivers and lakes in north China during the summer months, continue to regulate the environment of the Xiliao River Basin and gradually restore the river’s flow along its entire course. We will boost protection and management of rivers and lakes, strengthen the ecological protection and restoration of major rivers and lakes, and promote the “river and lake chief plus” departmental cooperation mechanism. We will strictly control shorelines, adopt tough measures to rectify the encroachment and damage of rivers and lakes, and continue to adopt comprehensive measures to improve rural water systems. We will comprehensively address the over-extraction of groundwater by coordinating conservation, control, replacement, recharge, and management measures, and consolidate and expand the control of groundwater over-extraction in north China. We will also explore deep groundwater recharge mechanisms and boost comprehensive control of groundwater over-extraction in key areas. We will make more efforts to curb soil erosion, step up management in areas with severe soil erosion, and accelerate the construction of warping dams and sediment storage dams in abundant and coarse sediment areas of the Loess Plateau, particularly areas with concentrations of coarse sediment sources. We will promote the management of hillside farmland and the construction of ecological and clean small watersheds, and quickly establish new supervision mechanisms for soil and water conservation.

VI. Conserving and utilizing water resources

In the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, President Xi stated that a green and low-carbon economy and society are crucial to high-quality development and called for the implementation of a comprehensive conservation strategy to conserve resources of all types and use them efficiently. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, President Xi has analyzed water conservation work in-depth on multiple occasions, emphasizing its immense importance and its immeasurable benefit to the people of China as well as the need to prioritize it in both theory and practice. The distribution of China’s water resources is spatially and temporally imbalanced, and China’s per capita water resources are only 28% of the global average, making it a significant restricting factor in socioeconomic development. Quickly achieving a fundamental transformation in water resource utilization and improving water use efficiency is a vital part of our comprehensive conservation strategy. In recent years, we have accelerated implementation of the National Water Conservation Campaign and reduction in both the volume and intensity of water consumption, improved national systems for water consumption quotas and monitoring of water resources, and kept total national water consumption basically stable. With just 6% of the world’s fresh water, China feeds nearly 20% of the world’s population and contributes over 18% of global economic output.

On the new journey ahead, we must continue to prioritize water conservation and uphold the principle of managing cities, land, human resources, and production based on available water resources. We will introduce sound water-saving systems and policies to strictly manage and carefully use water resources. We will continuously promote conservation and intensive use of water resources and encourage a green transformation in all aspects of our economic and social development. Specifically, we need to thoroughly implement the National Water Conservation Campaign and promote water-saving throughout society, with the focus on improving water conservation in both agriculture and industry, reducing the discharge of wastewater from industrial sources, and promoting the conservation and loss reduction of water in urban areas. We will establish mandatory limits on the use of water resources, manage evaluations of water resources and supervision of water intake permission, accelerate the construction of a system for monitoring and measuring water intake, and enhance assessments of water resource management. We will improve supporting policies for water conservation, speed up the initial allocation of water-use rights, vigorously promote water-saving management contracting, and guide financial capital and non-governmental investment toward water conservation.

VII. Protecting against floods and droughts

In the report to the 20th CPC National Congress, President Xi pointed out the need to resolutely pursue a holistic approach to national security and promote national security in all areas and stages of the work of the Party and the country. He also vowed to boost China’s capacity for disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief and for responding to and providing support for during serious public emergencies. Water security is an integral part of national security and a fundamental issue that impacts our survival and development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, President Xi has issued “two commitments and three transformations”* on disaster prevention, mitigation, and relief. During critical periods of flood and drought, President Xi has issued instructions, repeatedly emphasized the need to prioritize the safety of people’s lives and property, and improved emergency response capabilities. In recent years, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, we have successfully dealt with many severe floods and droughts in some of the largest rivers and lakes in the country. In 2022, we fought against a historically rare concurrence of floods, droughts, and salt tides, including a heavy flood in the Pearl River Basin, the biggest floods caused by the Beijiang River since 1915, the most severe long-term meteorological and hydrological drought in the Yangtze River Basin since data began in 1961, and a saltwater intrusion in the Yangtze River Estuary. Despite these challenges, the number of deaths and missing persons due to floods was the lowest since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949 and we maintained water supplies and achieved a good grain harvest.

On the new journey ahead, we need to better coordinate development and safety, continue to place the people and their lives above all else, and put safety and prevention first. We need to improve people’s awareness of risks and make them more mindful of potential dangers, be prepared to deal with worst-case and extreme scenarios, and accelerate improvements to river basin flood control engineering systems comprising reservoirs, river channels and levees, and flood detention and retention basins, so as to improve our ability to manage floods and droughts. Specifically, we need to accelerate improvements to flood control engineering systems in river basins, move ahead with major flood control projects in river basins, conduct a three-year campaign to improve levees along major rivers and around major lakes to bring them up to standard, and strengthen the safety and operations management of detention and retention basins. We will accelerate efforts to shore up weaknesses in our defenses, strengthen hydrological modernization, and construct three lines of defense comprising meteorological satellites and rainfall radars, precipitation stations, and hydrological stations. We will improve the reinforcement, safety appraisals and assurances, and routine maintenance of reservoirs. We will also prioritize the prevention of mountain torrents. We will adopt proactive, considered, and practical measures to prevent disasters and aim for no casualties, reservoir collapses, breaches of important levees, or damage to major infrastructure as well as ensure the supply of safe water in both urban and rural areas. We will integrate our defenses against heavy rainfall, flooding, and drought and implement measures related to forecasting, early warning, simulation, and planning. Finally, we will stay alert to every flood and drought and build defenses solid enough to protect the lives and property of the Chinese people.

* The two commitments are: first, focus on prevention while combining prevention and relief efforts, and second, persist in combining regular disaster mitigation with nonconventional disaster relief. The three transformations are: from emphasizing post-disaster relief to pre-disaster prevention, from dealing with single disasters to comprehensive disaster reduction, and from reducing disaster losses to reducing disaster risks.

Li Guoying is Minister and Secretary of the CPC Leadership Group, Ministry of Water Resources.

(Originally appeared in Qiushi Journal, Chinese edition, No. 8, 2023)