One third of China’s population is dependent on the water of the Yangtze in some way. Agriculture and industrial producers are the thirstiest consumers, but the river is also a primary source of drinking water, an important waterway to inland China and a major source of hydroelectric power. 

China, however, faces enormous challenges securing sufficient supplies of clean water. Today, at least 300 million people in China do not have access to clean water, and the situation is only expected to get worse in the years to come. Northern China, including the megacities of Beijing and Tianjin, is hardest hit.

Surplus of waterThe south, on the other hand, has a surplus of water, and this discrepancy makes a south-to-north water transfer project possible, using three canals to divert water from the Yangtze to the Yellow River and onwards to Beijing.

In some places, the canals will even flow under the Yellow River, and it is precisely this type of grandiose engineering project
that has drawn attention to China’s challenges of reducing water consumption.

Increasing consumptionChina’s water shortages threaten both economic development and public health. In order to alleviate the strain on the country’s water supplies, China has begun working with the EU to manage the water in the country’s two longest rivers, the Yellow and the Yangtze.

It is hoped that the project will lead to a more sustainable use and management of the rivers’ waters. COWI is part of the EU consortium that is helping China deal with its water challenges.

“China’s water issues stem from the rapid economic growth the country has experienced over the past 25 years,” says COWI Project Manager Lars Skov Andersen.

“Agriculture, manufacturing and individual households all consume increasing amounts of water. When the water is discharged into rivers as wastewater, it often contains high concentrations of industrial and agricultural pollutants.”

Andersen has been working on the EU-China River Basin Management Programme for two years. His role is to coordinate the EU’s efforts with the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission, a part of the country’s Water Resources Ministry.

Increasing focusSitting in his office in Wuhan, not far from the Yangtze, Andersen explains that his primary function is to help the Chinese improve their water management and raise water quality levels.

“Our Chinese partners are particularly interested in what we are doing to implement the EU Water Framework Directive. The directive has been the focus of most of the water-related projects cowi has worked on over the past decade, so we have a lot of experience to share.”

Andersen explains that the ultimate goal for the Yangtze water quality project is to ensure that the water is clean enough to drink.

By Christina Tækker
Published: 19 May 2010