China's Water Resources Management Investment Reaches Record High in 2024

China Invests Heavily in Water Resources Management

China's investment in water resources management facilities reached a record high of 1.35 trillion yuan ($185 billion) in 2024, marking the third consecutive year of exceeding 1 trillion yuan in investment. This significant investment has enabled the implementation of 47,000 projects, playing a crucial role in stabilizing economic growth and promoting employment, with over 3.15 million people employed in the sector.

The focus of investment in 2024 was on flood control facilities in major river basins and hydrological monitoring infrastructure. Key areas for enhancing hydrological monitoring include the construction of additional rain gauge stations and the promotion of new technologies such as satellite remote sensing and radar monitoring. A significant milestone was the launch of a new satellite by the Ministry of Water Resources on December 12, 2023, marking a transition from traditional fixed-point monitoring to an integrated space-air-ground-water monitoring system.

The central government's issuance of additional government bonds in 2023 enabled the launch of over 7,800 water resources management projects in 2024. These projects, supported by the 1 trillion yuan bonds, will result in the construction and reinforcement of 10,000 kilometers of dikes, the improvement of 28,000 km of river channels, and an increase in reservoir capacity by more than 23 billion cubic meters. These efforts will significantly strengthen water security across multiple river basins and regions.