China's 8 challenges to water resources management in the first quarter ofthe 21st Century

Northern China has less than half the water per person than the absolutely water-scarce Egypt. This simple comparison helps us to understand that Chin a will face great water-related challenges in the coming decades. Its rapid urbanization, industrialization, growing agricultural demand, environmenta l degradation, and potential climate-related threats will be the major driv ing forces that challenge the management and utilization of China's water r esources over the decades to come. China's environmental pressures already exceed the carrying capacity of this densely populated land. This paper sur veys China's water resource management situation and its challenges for the decades ahead. The Yangtze River basin is a special focus. The waters and hydropower of this vast basin are increasingly being exploited-besides the 400 million people who live in the basin-also those other nearby parts of C hina. Particularly important is the thirst of the North China Plain-with an other 400 million people-seeking the Yangtze's water and power. (C) 2001 El sevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.