Challenges to and Opportunities for Development of China's Water Resources in the 21st Century

ABSTRACT 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, def...