GCSE South to North Water Transfer Project (SNWTP), China

SNWTP

South to North Water Transfer Project

$62 billion

Cost of the South-North Water Transfer Project

The aims of the project

divert 44.8 billion cubic meters of water per year from the Yangtze River in southern China to the Yellow River Basin in arid northern China

Reason the water is needed

Is because much of China's economic growth has occurred in the north on the North China Plain around the cities of Tianjin and Beijing.

600million people

Live in the North China Plain working in heavy industries that need water and reliant upon agriculture that needs water for irrigation

Beijing

Uses groundwater at the moment for water. It needs 3.5 billion litres of water per year. Soil compacts when water taken so sinking on average 5cm a year

2050

The end date of the project

The central route

diverts water from the Danjiangkou reservoir on the Han River via new canals to flow through Henan and Hebei Provinces to Beijing

1,267km

Length of central route opened in 2014

Western Route

Still under construction

Eastern route

This diversion is 1,155km long, completed 2013. Water goes from the Yangtze river to Shandong Province for domestic and industrial use.

Advantages

Stop the over-withdrawal of groundwater. Water to industry, cities, and China's breadbasket in the north. Helps China cope with climate change

Disadvantages

Recent droughts in the SOUTH so no excess water to transfer to the thirsty North. Could make water pollution problems worse. Displaced people. High Cost