China Makes Water a $12 Billion Priority
Chinese officials said water conservation will be their top agricultural priority this year and targeted up to $12 billion for irrigation and related projects, while also acknowledging the country could have to import more farm goods over the long term.
Chronic droughts have parched aquifers in China’s northern plains and weighed on grain output, even as the stock of arable land is under pressure from urban encroachment amid a massive continuing population shift from country to city.
Speaking at a press briefing Sunday, senior Chinese officials said they aim to set aside 10% of the revenue from sales of government land for irrigation and water conservation, part of a broader emphasis on water issues in the government’s “No. 1 document,” its annual manifesto on agricultural development.