World Water Day+China Water Week： Actions and Effects of Water Saving in China

　　The picture shows Shangzhuang Village, Chencao Township, Jian ‘an District, Xuchang City, Henan Province. The electric translation sprinkler is watering the wheat field. Xinhua News Agency reporter Feng Dapeng photo

　　Water is the foundation of human existence. March 22nd is the 26th World Water Day and the beginning of the 31st China Water Week. This year, the United Nations decided that the propaganda theme of "World Water Day" was "Borrowing force of nature to protect green mountains and green rivers". The propaganda theme of "China Water Week" is "Implementing national water-saving actions and building a water-saving society". What measures and effects does China have on water conservation?

　　■ There are many activities in love the water.

　　In the south of spring, willow branches are swaying and flowers are blooming. On March 22nd, the activity of "Taihu Cup Looking for the Guardian of Rivers and Lakes Around" was held in Nanjing Youth Olympic Cultural Park, Jiangsu Province. "I witnessed with my own eyes that the river at my doorstep is getting cleaner and the environment is getting more and more beautiful." Ms. Liu, a citizen who came to participate in the event, said, "I hope I can do something."

　　Many cities take World Water Day and China Water Week as an opportunity to carry out publicity and experience activities and contribute to the construction of water-saving cities.

　　Zhejiang Hangzhou Water Group launched the "Water Supply Open Day" to help citizens understand the production and operation of urban water supply and drainage, environmental water distribution and maintenance and other related projects, and the staff of water supply enterprises answered questions from zero distance.

　　Wuhan Jianhe Middle School in Hubei moved the geography class to the Yangtze River levee. The teacher scooped up two bottles of river water, so that the students could watch the color and smell it and have a quiz on water knowledge.

　　■ The industry can’t save water less.

　　In recent years, from agriculture, industry, service industry to urban domestic water, the utilization efficiency and benefit of water resources in China have been steadily improved. According to the data provided by the Ministry of Water Resources, from 2012 to 2016, the water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP and industrial added value decreased by 25.3% and 26.6% respectively, and the effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation water increased from 0.516 to 0.542.

　　The agricultural sector, which exceeds 60% of the total water consumption in the country, has achieved remarkable results in water saving. "I used to water the land, but now I water the seedlings." In the greenhouse of Gobi Agricultural Industrial Park in Suzhou District, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, fist-sized tomatoes are covered with green branches. In this Gobi desert, which was once lamented as "the barren land in the middle of Gansu is the best in the world", the surface pipeline system and emitters drip water evenly and slowly into the soil at the root of crops. The application and popularization of new agricultural irrigation technology has greatly improved the efficiency of agricultural water use. By the end of 2017, the country had added more than 100 million mu of high-efficiency water-saving irrigation area. In the past five years, the effective utilization rate of farmland irrigation water has saved 20% to 50% compared with traditional irrigation.

　　In the industrial field, the state continues to promote water-saving processes, technologies and equipment, focusing on the implementation of water-saving technological transformation in high-water-consuming industries. In the service industry, we will implement water-saving technological transformation of high-water consumption service industries and strictly control high-water consumption service industries such as bathing and car washing. At the same time, strengthen the transformation of urban public water supply pipe network, comprehensively carry out the construction of water-saving units and residential quarters, and create an atmosphere of saving water for all.

　　■ Institutional innovation manages the long term.

　　"Look at the new river now, with clear water and fish shuttling. Wait another year, and at the junction of the three rivers, a new Weisha Wetland Park covering an area of 5,000 mu will be built soon. " On March 20th, Shu Quanhai, deputy director of Diaotai Sub-district Office in Fengxi New Town, Xixian New Area, Shaanxi Province, stood at the intersection of the new river and the Weihe River to inspect the river. He comes to this place two or three times a week.

　　Shu Quanhai said that since the implementation of the river length system, the effect of river management in the jurisdiction has been very obvious. At present, there is basically no surface garbage in the river.

　　It is reported that at present, 25 provinces in China have established the river length system, and the remaining provinces and Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps will be fully established by the end of June this year, and more than 320,000 river lengths at the provincial, city, county and township levels have been identified. There are 2865 lakes with a water area of more than 1 square kilometer in China. At present, 2180 lakes have established the lake length system, and it is planned to fully establish the system before the end of this year.

　　"Implementing the responsibility system for the heads of rivers and lakes is not a short-term expedient measure, but an institutional innovation with far-reaching significance in the water management system." Jia Shaofeng, a researcher at the Institute of Geographical Sciences and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said.

　　Innovative systems such as river length system and lake length system provide a guarantee for long-term and effective water resources protection and management. By introducing the river length system in many areas, the water quality has been obviously improved, and the appearance of rivers has been greatly improved. The beautiful picture of smooth rivers, clear water and green shores is becoming a reality. (Li Wei Lu Anqi Shi Hongqiang)