China plans to cut water consumption

BEIJING (AFP) – China plans to cut its average water consumption by 20 percent by the end of 2010 in an effort to avert a looming shortage crisis, state media reported Thursday.

Double-digit economic growth and a growing population are putting a heavy strain on China’s limited water resources, and the consequences are beginning to show.

There was enough water in Beijing to adequately supply just over 14 million people in 2005, but the city had 15 million permanent residents and four million migrant workers at the end of last year, Xinhua said recently.

AFP