The Vice Minister of Construction told a conference in Beijing yesterday that China is "facing a water crisis more severe and urgent than any other country in the world."

Speaking at the 1st International Conference for China Urban Water Development Strategies, which closed yesterday, Qiu Baoxing said, "We've got to solve the problem before it is too late."

Qiu said China should draw lessons from developed countries, which have paid heavy costs in tackling environmental pollution.

"We must take precautionary measures before the urban water ecosystem collapses," Qiu said, added that the government aims to raise cities' wastewater treatment rate from 45.6 to 60 percent in five years, with major cities reaching 70 percent.

Qian Yi, professor of environmental engineering at Tsinghua University and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said the crisis consists of two problems: the shortage of water resources and water pollution.

Qian said China's present per capita water availability is 2,200 square meters, about a quarter of the world average, and by 2030 this will drop to 1,760.

Of the country's seven major rivers five are seriously polluted, the worst being the Haihe River near Beijing and Tianjin, 60 percent of its water falls into the lowest water quality category.

"Short-sightedness in economic development accompanied with environmental destruction is still widespread in China," Qian said.

Qian said more than 20 percent of cities' water supply leaked from pipe networks, an intolerable waste, and that the government is carrying out reform in the urban water industry by introducing more market mechanisms.

At the same time, the government will strengthen supervision of bidding, pricing, and controlling water quality and safety.

"We have established market mechanisms in the water industry and welcome foreign investment, which will bring us cutting-edge technologies and management methods," Qiu said.

Qiu also said the Ministry of Construction is working with the Ministry of Health to work out a new set of standards for drinking water.

(China Daily November 1, 2005)