China's water problems set to worsen
Water pollution is worsening in cities across China, in spite of heavy investment in new waste water treatment facilities, a government official said yesterday.
Urban areas need to do more to conserve and treat water if they are to avoid crises, said Qiu Baoxing, vice-minister of construction. "This is a critical point in time - we are at a crossroads."
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Mr Qiu said that during the next five years China expected to spend Rmb1,000bn ($125bn, �98bn, ￡66bn), which included Rmb330bn to construct urban wastewater treatment facilities and Rmb320bn for two main lines of the south-north water diversion project.
China's water problems, specifically high pollution levels and persistent droughts, are set to continue in spite of Beijing's plans to expand water-related infrastructure.
Shortages of water supplies, especially in the north, have long been a serious problem in the country. In recent weeks, scorching temperatures have caused a drought in the south-west - mainly Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality - that has ruined crops and caused drinking water shortages for millions of people.
Waterways contaminated by urban household and industrial wastewater discharges are a worry for Beijing and local governments. In many areas, depleted groundwater levels are causing the ground to sink.
According to the ministry of construction, which is in charge of city planning policy, China's urban wastewater treatment rate jumped from 34 per cent in 2000 to52 per cent last year.
However, the ministry admitted that many wastewater plants were operating at only partial capacity; the collection of wastewater treatment fees is often irregular; and pipe networks are often old or incomplete. It is leading an effort to repair 50-year-old pipe networks prone to leakage in urban areas by the end of next year.
Mr Qiu said over-population and relentless economic growth were posing a serious threat to water resources in many urban areas. "Our overall urban water environment is worsening," he said. "The next few years will be the time when Chinese cities will see the fastest urbanisation and when industrialisation will proceed most swiftly. This period is when water pollution will be most serious."
He said the central government needed to intensify its supervision of water-related industries while allowing the market to become less state-dominated as it opened itself to foreign and private investment. "The market has not fully played its fundamental role," he said. "Now is the peak period for investment."
But Zhang Yue, another ministry official, estimated that foreign investment in China's urban water sector was less than 10 per cent of the total. He said Beijing was a positive example of a city that had significantly cut its water use.
中国水环境“仍在恶化”
一位中国政府官员昨日表示，尽管政府在新的污水处理设施方面投入大量资金，但中国城镇的水污染仍在不断恶化。
中国建设部副部长仇保兴表示，城镇地区要想避免水荒的爆发，需要在水资源保护和污水处理方面采取更多措施。“这是一个特殊的时刻，我们正处在一个十字路口上。”
仇保兴表示，今后5年，预计中国在水务方面的总投资将超过1万亿元人民币（合1255亿美元），其中包括投资3300亿元建设城镇污水处理设施，3200亿元用于“南水北调”工程两条主要管线的建设。
尽管中国政府计划迅速扩展水务基础设施，但该国的水资源问题，尤其是污染程度较高和持续干旱，仍将继续存在。
长期以来，供水短缺一直是中国面临的一个严重问题，特别是在北方地区。最近数周，持续高温已导致西南地区（主要是四川和重庆）出现干旱，使粮食作物受到破坏，并导致数百万居民的饮用水短缺。
城镇生活及工业污水排放对水道的污染，是中国政府和地方政府头疼的一个问题。在许多地区，地下水位不断下降正造成地面下沉的问题。
负责城市规划政策的建设部表示，中国城镇污水处理率已从2000年的34%，升至去年的52%。
但建设部承认，许多污水处理厂目前仅以部分产能运转；污水处理费的征收往往不够正常；同时管网往往较为陈旧，或不够完善。因此建设部正努力在明年底之前，改造城镇地区使用50年之久、可能导致渗漏的管网。
仇保兴表示，人口过剩和经济持续增长对许多城镇地区的水资源构成了严重威胁。他表示：“我国城镇的水环境仍然处在整体恶化的进程中。”
他表示，中央政府需要在加强监管水务企业的同时，向外资和私人投资开放水务市场，降低这一市场的国家控制程度。“市场在水资源配置中的基础性作用没有充分发挥，”他表示。“这个时候是中国水务市场投资的高峰时期。”
