Capital's water shortage a population problem (Beijing)

[jpak]

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/12/14/299764/Capital__039_s_water_shortage_a_population_problem.htm

THE water shortage in China's capital is set to reach the crisis point in 2010, when the population is expected to top 17 million - at least three million more than its resources can supply.

An optimistic estimation of Beijing's annual water supply is around 3.73 billion cubic meters in 2010, taking into account the Yangtze River water supplied by the country's ambitious south-to-north water diversion project.

Yet the disposable volume will be no more than 3.26 billion cubic meters, excluding at least 470 million cubic meters needed to maintain the city's ecological system, says a report in China Economic Weekly.

Beijing's per capita GDP averaged US$5,548 last year, with 50.1 cubic meters of water consumed for each 10,000 yuan (US$1,250) of GDP.

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