Beijing: China’s total investment in water conservancy facility construction is projected to exceed 5.4 trillion yuan (approximately 759.6 billion U.S. dollars) during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025). This figure represents a 1.6-fold increase compared to the previous five-year period, as announced by Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying.

According to Namibia Press Agency, China reached a record high investment of over 1.35 trillion yuan in water conservancy facilities in 2024. This follows the sector’s investment first surpassing one trillion yuan in 2022, achieving new milestones and breaking records for three consecutive years.

Throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China initiated construction on 172 major water conservancy projects. These efforts are focused on optimizing water infrastructure in terms of layout, structure, function, and system integration, as noted by Li.

By the conclusion of 2024, China had completed 95,000 reservoirs, 200 large and medium-sized water diversion proje
cts, 6,924 large and medium-sized irrigation districts, and 318,000 kilometers of dikes. This development has resulted in the world’s largest and most comprehensive water conservancy infrastructure system, benefiting a vast population.

China has also made continuous improvements to its flood and drought disaster prevention system, successfully managing 3,981 river floods that exceeded warning levels.

The country effectively handled severe droughts in river basins such as the Yangtze River and the Pearl River, ensuring water supply safety for residents in affected areas and meeting irrigation demands for agriculture.

During the 2021-2025 period, economic losses from flood and waterlogging disasters as a percentage of the gross domestic product decreased to 0.18 percent, down from 0.28 percent during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020).