Introduction to South-North Water Diversion Project

The South-North Water Diversion (SNWD) Project is an important strategic endeavor China is taking to solve the water scarcity situation in its north regions. Based on the half-century long research, Chinese government launched the mission to transfer water from south to north through 3 routes at the upriver, mid-river and down-river sections of Yangtz River respectively. On December 27, 2002, Chinese government held the Opening Ceremony for South-North Water Diversion Project in Beijing, Jiangsu and Shandong concurrently.

According to the Overall Plan of South-North Water Diversion Project, approved by China State Council in December 2002, the brief information of the three routes of South-North Water Diversion Project is as follows:

East Route: To draw water from Jiangdu of Yangzhou at down-river section of Yangtz River, and pump water progressively northward through the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and its parallel waterways, passing along Hongzehu Lake, Luomahu Lake, Nansihu Lake and Dongpinghu Lake. Coming out of Dongpinghu Lake, water is bifurcated. One waterway crosses Yellow River at Weishan, running north to Tianjin. Another waterway runs east through water artery in Jiaodong area, passing along Jinan to Yantai and Weihai in Shangdong province.

Mid Route: To draw water from Danjiangkou Reservoir at upriver of Hanjiang, a tributary of Yangtz River, running across four river basins including Yangtz River, Huaihe River, Yellow River and Haihe River and going north to Beijing and Tianjin along Beijing-Guangzhou Railway.

West Route: To divert water from Tongtianhe River, Yalongjiang River and Daduhe River at the upriver section of Yangtz River to the upriver section of Yellow River so as to solve the water scarcity situation in northwest China.

According to the above planning, the multiyear average water diversion volume of the east route, mid route and west route of South-North Water Diversion Project by 2050 will reach 14.8 billion cubic meters, 13 billion cubic meters and 17 billion cubic meters, aggregated to 44.8 billion cubic meters. The total investment is RMB 500 billion yuan. The east route shall be carried out in three phases, mid route in two and west route, which is under preparation, is scheduled in three phases.
 
The first phase of the East Route and the Mid Route has broken ground. In the first phase of East Route, the water volume planned to draw from Yangtz River total to 8.9 billion cubic meters, among which 3.9 billion are newly resumed based on the original water pumping capacity of Yangtz River of 5 billion. The transfer project of the 8.9 billion cubic meters water, to be supplied to Shangdong, is scheduled to complete by 2007. The water transfer volume of the first phase, to complete by 2010, of Mid Route reaches 9.5 billion cubic meters, of which the water receiving areas will be Henan, Hebei, Tianjin and Beijing. The total static investment of the first phase of East Route and Mid Route is RMB124 billion yuan. The first phase project of the West Route is scheduled to start around 2010, which will realize annual water transfer volume totaling 4 billion cubic meters upon completion.

Once the principal part of the SNWD Project is completed, the 3 routes running south and north, i.e. East Route, Mid Route and West Route, shall intersect with 4 rivers running east and west, i.e. Yangtz River, Huaihe River, Yellow River and Haihe River, forming a network pattern. The annual water transfer volume of SNWD Project equals to the total volume of Yellow River, which shall eventually change the situation of severely imbalanced distribution of water resources in China whiling improving the natural and ecological environment in north China.