China’s subsequent approval of a large hydropower dam has received a lot of media attention, but little has been written about the nation’s following significant water management strategy, which is the creation of a national water grid.
Will it become the long-awaited alternative to the region’s water problems, or is it another optimistic walk destined to work clean?
In many ways, China’s story is shaped by its connection with fluids. Its creek systems, geography, and hydraulic conditions have played an important role in the government’s advancement.
Assisting frequently point out that these problems were essential to the development of China, the Chinese culture, and the Chinese individuals. This long-standing relationship between China and its waters serves as the context for understanding the country’s contemporary liquid management issues.
Water is a significant tool and a symbol of strength in Chinese history. The role that water plays in maintaining political security has long been understood by Chinese leaders. Yu the Great of the Xia Dynasty, who is said to have tamed the Yellow River, is credited with over 4, 000 decades in this regard.
More recently, water leadership has remained key to China’s development objectives, as evidenced by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “ecological society” idea and a reserve he published on ocean governance.
The design of a nationwide water network is the most recent development in China’s water management. This initiative aims to promote more equitable access to water across the nation and tackle water shortage in northern China. The national water grid system known as the sanzhong siheng is connected to the South-North Water Transfer Project ( SNWTP).
” Sanzhong” refers to the SNWTP’s three routes:
- the northeast route, via the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal,
- the mid way, from the Danjiangkou Reservoir in Hubei to Beijing and Tianjin, and
- the questionable northern road.
” Siheng” refers to the four eastern-flowing river: Haihe, Yellow, Huaihe and Yangtze.
Onw essential part of the three” sanzhong” – the eastern route – has not yet been built. The eastern route is still in the planning stages despite the construction of the middle and eastern routes.
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau will serve as the eastern route’s main channel for the 17 billion cubic meters of water that will flow from the Yangtze River to the Upper Yellow River each year. However, the size and complexity of this equipment project make it unlikely that it will be completed, adding a threat to the entire strategy.
The purpose of the ocean network is to address China’s essential water challenges. Despite holding around 6 percent of the nation’s water resources,  , the country now faces major water challenges mainly due to water quality concerns, inconsistent water distribution, and a per capita water availability below world average.
These problems are worsened by competing liquid needs from industrialisation, agricultural demands and quick urbanization.
The country’s national water network has issues and implications for China. It truly reflects Beijing’s rely on large-scale infrastructure projects to resolve water issues.
This engineering-driven technique, rooted in Chairman Mao Zedong’s conviction that “man must destroy nature”, has led China to undertake on more than 100 escape jobs in the past century alone. Although these projects represent a concerted effort to address water scarcity, they also highlight the drawbacks of relying solely on engineering to solve complex environmental issues.
Concurrently, China’s national water grid aims to further secure the water supply to the northern region.
The Chinese central government’s solution to the region’s water scarcity –  , large-scale hydro-engineering projects– has reshaped water distribution, easing scarcity in northern China. But has come at a high price. The North China Plain’s water supply is dependent on the SNWTP.
For example, Beijing, which remains vulnerable to drought, sources over 70 percent of the city’s water from this inter-basin transfer project.  ,
Such reliance on a single source poses risks to long-term water security, especially when climatic or infrastructure changes become unpredictable. In light of this, the national water grid can support the efforts being made to supply this rapidly industrialized and urbanized arid region with water.
Major challenges remain. Climate change impacts – in particular, severe and disruptive extreme weather events– are one of the biggest concerns. Estimates predict that China’s efforts to manage the national grid effectively will cost over US$ 47 billion annually. The national water grid’s resilience will likely need more frequent adjustments as a result of climate change.
Equally concerning is the question of financing. It’s unclear how China will finance such ambitious infrastructure projects because local governments are caught in a vicious cycle of high debt, declining revenues, and government debt projected to account for nearly 150 percent of GDP by 2030.
The continued focus on supply-side solutions, particularly via engineering projects to redistribute water, is another major concern. This approach can lead to unintended consequences, such as water shortages downstream from diversion projects.
Water in the downstream Han River has been reduced as a result of the Danjiangkou Reservoir’s transfer of water to the north. These difficulties highlight the limitations of concentrating solely on supply-side measures without considering issues relating to water efficiency or consumption.
Beijing should think about adopting a more balanced approach to ensure a resilient water management system as well as investing in demand-side initiatives to increase water efficiency and reduce consumption. By balancing supply-side solutions with demand-side measures, China can create a more sustainable and resilient water management system.
A comprehensive strategy that addresses both supply and demand issues is required in addition to the national water grid, which is a bold step toward securing China’s water future. Only then can the nation effectively conserve its water resources.
Genevieve Donnellon-May is a researcher at Oxford Global Society and a fellow at the Indo-Pacific Studies Center. She was chosen as a young leader for the 2023 Pacific Forum and serves on the Modern Diplomacy advisory board.