Since 2015, when water pollution incidents constantly made front page headlines in China, many people have stopped the common practice of drinking boiled tap water, worrying their health might be affected by unknown contamination in rivers and underground water.
At least one third of China’s rivers and lakes are severely polluted and nearly 70 percent of the drinking water in the country’s rural areas are unsafe, said Zhang Xiaoquan, chief scientist of The Nature Conservancy (TNC), a leading nongovernmental organization that works for global conservation.
Meanwhile, climate change has made the issue even more challenging as China is more severely affected than other countries, Willam McGoldrick, director of TNC’s Global Climate Strategy project, said at a seminar in Hong Kong on Thursday.
It has also led to more floods in summer and more droughts in winter in southern China, McGoldrick explained.
Under these circumstances, water conservancy is not only a matter of curbing pollution, but also about increasing the efficiency of water usage, such as recycling and reducing water waste, he added.
All-out efforts Facing the public’s concerns and the pressing issue of water shortages, the Chinese government has vowed to make all-out efforts, including enacting the "harshest ever" Action Plan for Prevention and Treatment of Water Pollution, as well as attracting various social groups to find a joint solution.
In the latest move, it amended the Water Pollution Prevention and Control Law in June, which brings the "River Chief" system into being.
Polluting companies face a maximum fine of 1 million yuan ($150,000) and suspension or even closure, according to the amended law that will take effect on January 1, 2018.
However, most PPP are currently from State-owned companies, which means that funding from the private sector is still limited due to concerns over investment-return rates and policy risks, said experts.
Apart from efforts to mobilize the private sector, China is also encouraging participation from academies and international NGOs for professional and diversified solutions.