• China’s South-North Water Transfer Project aims to deliver 25 billion m3 of freshwater per year to the drier north by two routes (central and Eastern). A third western route is currently being planned.

• As 2/3rd of the farmland are in the North and 80% of the water is in the South, this provides a perfect opportunity to distribute the water to ensure agriculture and water security for the nation.

• The Water Transfer is expensive - estimated to cost around US$ 80 billion in 2015. This is before maintenance costs and water prices are considered.

• It is likely to be too expensive for the farmers, resulting in them continuing to use groundwater despite the scheme.

• Over 300,000 people have been displaced for the construction of the Water Transfer's central route.

• Transferring water via Water Transfer does not address the main causes of water shortages in the North. The North has a limited water supply because of the pollution of water sources, water inefficient agriculture and poorly managed use for industry.

• By removing water from the Yangtze it may further reduce discharge levels. The impacts on the river ecosystems will be devastating, in addition to those already caused by the Three Gorges Dam.

  • One of the negative impacts of the Three Gorges Dam was the flooding of ecosystems, leaving animals without a habitat. It also led to vegetation decay and the release of methane.

Three Gorges Dam

• The Three Gorges Dam is designed to control flooding on the River Yangtze and improve the supply of water by regulating the flow.

• The Dam would also benefit locals by providing HEP energy and making the river navigable. This was crucial for the economic development of China to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, in particular, coal.

• The water held back by the Dam can also contribute to the water being transferred by the South-North Water Transfer.

• 632km2 of land was flooded, including 1,500 villages and towns to form the reservoir behind the dam.

• 1.3 million Chinese residents were relocated and the local history of those villages was lost.

• Water quality is poor because of the surface runoff allowing industrial waste, sewage and agricultural chemical runoff to enter into the Yangtze further upstream.

• Ecosystems were flooded and destroyed, leaving animals without a habitat. Vegetation decay led to the release of methane.