In an interview with industry experts, it’s been revealed that investments in water conservancy projects in China have surpassed 800 billion yuan in the first eight months of this year, reflecting a remarkable upward trend. According to reports from the Ministry of Water Resources, there has been an impressive 18.7% increase in new water projects initiated this year compared to the same period last year.
As of October 8, the total investment in water conservancy construction has reached 801.94 billion yuan, which represents a year-over-year increase of 10.7%. Several major water infrastructure projects are being expedited, with 37 significant water projects launched during this period, including the construction of the Guoxian water hub on the Yellow River and the full operation of the Pearl River Delta water resource allocation project. Additionally, other important initiatives, such as the Heihe Huangzangsi water hub and the Dongtaizi Reservoir in Inner Mongolia, are also making progress.
Furthermore, the water conservancy sector is creating a wealth of job opportunities. In the first eight months alone, 42,000 water projects were implemented, reflecting a 14.1% increase from the previous year, with 28,000 of those projects newly initiated, showcasing an 18.7% growth. By the end of August, these water projects had generated job opportunities for nearly 2.1 million individuals, marking a 6.9% increase year-over-year, with 1.7 million of these positions going to rural workers—a notable rise of 10.4%.
There are also significant efforts underway to enhance agricultural water supply and develop irrigation areas. By the end of August, around 93 billion yuan had been invested in rural water supply projects, with 17,700 rural supply initiatives launched and plans for high-quality water supply development being implemented across all provinces. Additionally, support for irrigation projects has exceeded 1,300, with central funding surpassing 100 billion yuan. So far this year, more than 60 billion yuan has been allocated to irrigation development projects.
