About 28 thousand rivers disappeared from the state map of China, and environmental scientists claim that these losses are associated with rapid “at any cost” – the country’s economic growth.
A photo from open sources
A worker is sailing a boat on Lake Chow, filled with blue-green seaweed. Access to drinking water is a serious problem in vast parts of China Official Report of the Chinese Ministry of Water released last week on the foundation of the nation’s first census of water resources, declares that the number of rivers with a catchment area of at least 100 square kilometers decreased by half compared to the middle of the last century. Official study conducted by 800 by thousands of surveyors, indicates that at the end of 2011 in China there were 22.909 rivers with a catchment area of at least 100 square kilometers. And it is two times less than declared formerly state estimates of more than 50 thousand rivers. The sharp decline in the number of rivers confirms the fears that the rapid China’s economic development has caused significant water losses and soil in the country. The state of China’s rivers and other water resources has risen on the agenda after the authorities were forced to have dealing with “cancer villages” – regions so contaminated water, that its use began to lead to catastrophic an increase in various diseases like stomach cancer. But huang hee the deputy director of the census team says that the differences in numbers are mainly due to inaccurate estimates in the past, as well as climate change and water and soil losses, according to the newspaper “South China Morning Post”. Huang states that many figures published in a new study were not previously known. “For example, we’re used to thinking that China has 8,700 reservoirs are available, but the census shows that this number now reached 98.002 “. The latest study to conduct which took three years, is the first detailed study of the number of water channels, reservoirs and irrigation zones China. It also shows that China, despite the loss of its rivers still experiencing significant flood problems during many parts of the country. Over 66 percent of the population and 90 percent all cities of the country are located in regions prone to threats floods. Last year, a flood in Beijing killed 70 people and caused damage to 1.6 million inhabitants. In a 2006 interview with Ma June, Director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs and water expert, said China “faced with the water crisis, which includes a lack of water, its pollution and water quality degradation. “He also added:” 400 of 600 cities in China deal with water scarcity of varying degrees severity, including 30 of the 32 largest metropolises. In the north of the country in the drying up of surface waters has undergone excessive development underground layers. The situation is becoming critical. ”
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