Case study - Hard Engineering - China's south-north water transfer project Flashcards
Why does China have a water supply problem?
Half a China’s population and two thirds of the farmland are in the north of the country whilst 80% of its water is in the south.
How much has the water table under Beijing fallen by since the 1970’s?
300 meters
What percentage of China’s rivers are polluted?
60%
When did China begin a huge south north water diversion project?
2003
How much water can the diversion project deliver from the Yangtze River in the south to the drier north?
25 billion meters cubed of freshwater per year
What is the projected cost of the project?
$100 billion
How long is the project expected to take to complete?
50 years
The project involves the building of three canals that run how many kilometres across the eastern, middle and western parts of China?
1,300 kilometres
How much water will be transferred each year as a result of the scheme?
44.8 billion cubic meters of water per year.
What percentage of the cost of the project will the central government cover?
50%
Local authorities will cover the rest of the cost
Give some disadvantages of the project?
- There is a likelihood of significant ecological and environmental impacts along the waterways
- Resettlement issues are likely to occur
- The Yangtze River is already severely polluted
How many people were displaced during the construction of the central route?
More than 300,000 people were displaced during the construction of the central route.
