China invests 5.68 trillion yuan in water conservancy over past five years

China's annual investment in water resources management projects has exceeded 1 trillion-yuan ($143.2 billion) for four consecutive years, bringing the total spending during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period to 5.68 trillion yuan.

At a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office on Friday, Chen Min, vice-minister of water resources, emphasized that the investments have effectively stabilized economic growth and promoted employment.

Water resources management projects across the country created 3.15 million jobs in 2025, driven by a total investment of 1.28 trillion yuan, Chen disclosed.

Over the past five years, these investments have significantly strengthened China's water supply and flood control capabilities, the vice minister stated.

This was achieved through initiatives such as reinforcing 17,998 aging and high-risk reservoirs and harnessing 3,741 small and medium-sized rivers.

As a result, the country's water supply capacity has increased by 31.8 billion cubic meters, reservoir storage has expanded by 22.3 billion cubic meters, and more than 3.5 million hectares of farmland have gained access to irrigation.