Middle route of China’s mega water diversion project hits new service milestone
新闻台署名 来源：新华社、《黎明报》、《阿拉伯新闻》、阿纳多卢通讯社与《分钟镜报》。由 GSRRA 编辑部翻译并节选。
An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 7, 2026 shows the trunk canal of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in Nanyang, central China’s Henan Province. The middle route of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project has delivered more than 80 billion cubic meters of water as of Friday, benefiting nearly 118 million residents in 27 cities, the project operator announced. The mega water transfer project, the largest of its kind globally, channels water over long distances from the country’s water-rich south to its northern regions, where hundreds of millions once endured “absolute water scarcity” as defined by United Nations standards. (Photo by Gao Song/Xinhua)
The middle route of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project has delivered more than 80 billion cubic meters of water as of Friday, benefiting nearly 118 million residents in 27 cities, the project operator announced.
The mega water transfer project, the largest of its kind globally, channels water over long distances from the country’s water-rich south to its northern regions, where hundreds of millions once endured “absolute water scarcity” as defined by United Nations standards.
After operating for nearly 12 years, the middle route has helped rebalance water resources, secure drinking water supplies, restore aquatic ecosystems, and reinforce national water security, according to the China South-to-North Water Diversion Corporation.
The impact has been particularly pronounced in Beijing, where diverted water now accounts for nearly 80 percent of the capital’s urban water supply. In neighboring Hebei Province, the combined population of the water recipient areas accounts for about 70 percent of the province’s total.
The project’s middle route has consistently maintained surface water quality at Class II or above, reversed the long-term decline of groundwater levels, and continued to improve river and lake ecosystems in north China, the operator said.
It has also provided critical water support for drought relief, irrigation and food security, while creating broader space for urban development and industrial layout optimization.
Designed with three routes, the South-to-North Water Diversion Project stretches across four of China’s major river basins: the Yangtze, Huaihe, Yellow and Haihe.
The eastern route leverages ancient canals, starting from the city of Yangzhou in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province, and uses 13 pumping stations to lift water.
On the other hand, the middle route relies on gravity to transport water from the Danjiangkou Reservoir, primarily located in central China’s Hubei Province, to regions such as Henan, Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin. ■
An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 7, 2026 shows a bridge over the trunk canal of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in Nanyang, central China’s Henan Province. The middle route of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project has delivered more than 80 billion cubic meters of water as of Friday, benefiting nearly 118 million residents in 27 cities, the project operator announced.
The mega water transfer project, the largest of its kind globally, channels water over long distances from the country’s water-rich south to its northern regions, where hundreds of millions once endured “absolute water scarcity” as defined by United Nations standards. (Photo by Gao Song/Xinhua)
An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 7, 2026 shows an aqueduct along the trunk canal of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in Nanyang, central China’s Henan Province. The middle route of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project has delivered more than 80 billion cubic meters of water as of Friday, benefiting nearly 118 million residents in 27 cities, the project operator announced.
The mega water transfer project, the largest of its kind globally, channels water over long distances from the country’s water-rich south to its northern regions, where hundreds of millions once endured “absolute water scarcity” as defined by United Nations standards. (Photo by Gao Song/Xinhua)
An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 7, 2026 shows an aqueduct along the trunk canal of the middle route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project in Nanyang, central China’s Henan Province. The middle route of China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project has delivered more than 80 billion cubic meters of water as of Friday, benefiting nearly 118 million residents in 27 cities, the project operator announced.
The mega water transfer project, the largest of its kind globally, channels water over long distances from the country’s water-rich south to its northern regions, where hundreds of millions once endured “absolute water scarcity” as defined by United Nations standards.
Reference Link:- https://english.news.cn/20260807/d07418b0d86949858be631e275191d7b/c.html
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
