The Ministry of Water Resources convened a press conference on the progress and achievements of water infrastructure construction in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026 on the morning of April 10, 2026. Mr. Sun Zhiyu, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, attended the press conference and briefed on relevant developments.
Vice Minister Sun Zhiyu noted that 2026 marks the first year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). The Ministry of Water Resources has thoroughly implemented the water governance principles of “prioritizing water conservation, balancing spatial distribution, taking systematic approaches, and promoting government-market synergy” and the spirit of his discourses on water governance. Focusing on promoting the high-quality development of water sector and safeguarding national water security, the Ministry has achieved positive results in water infrastructure construction in the first quarter. The number of newly started major water projects has exceeded that of the same period last year, completed investment has grown steadily, and social capital input has hit a record high for the same period, getting the year off to a good start.
First, 15 major water projects broke ground, more than in the same period last year. For each major project earmarked as priority, detailed work plans were formulated, studies on key technical issues were deepened, strict quality control over survey and design was enforced, and robust support for land use, environmental impact assessment and other essential factors was provided to facilitate more and earlier project kick-offs. From January to March, 15 major water projects commenced construction, 7 more than in the same period last year, with a total investment of 147.5 billion yuan (about 21.49 billion U.S. dollars).
Construction preparation site for the Taipu River Follow-up Phase I Project [Source / People’s Daily]
Second, 207 billion yuan of investment was completed, a steady growth. All-out efforts were made in overall coordination and organization to accelerate construction progress. A number of key national water network backbone projects attained critical milestones. The outlet section of the main water conveyance tunnel of the Yangtze-Han River Water Diversion Project, a follow-up source project for the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, was holed through, and the diversion tunnel of the Guxian Water Control Project on the Yellow River was fully completed. At the same time, construction has been advanced of small and medium-sized projects for rural water supply, small and medium-sized irrigation areas, reinforcement of dangerous and risky reservoirs, systematic governance of small and medium-sized rivers, mountain torrent disaster prevention and control, and water ecological governance and protection. From January to March, more than 24 thousand water projects of various kinds were implemented nationwide, among which more than 8 thousand were newly initiated. Completed investment reached 207 billion yuan, a 4.1% year-on-year increase. 670 thousand jobs were created, including 545 thousand rural laborers. A total of 9.1 billion yuan worth of wages was paid, including 6.88 billion yuan to rural workers.
Third, investment was secured through diversified channels, with social capital input hitting a record high for the same period. Seizing the opportunities created by a more proactive fiscal policy and a moderately accommodative monetary policy, the Ministry innovated investment and financing mechanisms and secured water investment through multiple channels. It leveraged the catalytic role of government investment, and guided local authorities to actively secure financial input from local government special bonds, bank loans and new policy-based financial instruments. By adopting models such as fundraising-investment-construction-management integration, social capital was attracted into water development and new water infrastructure Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) projects were launched. From January to March, 90.2 billion yuan was secured from local government special bonds and bank loans, surging 28.4% year-on-year. Social capital investment reached 43.4 billion yuan, up 16.4% year-on-year, a record high for the same period in history.
Moving forward, the Ministry will spare no effort in flood and drought disaster prevention, and accelerate the building of a modern water network, so as to contribute to consolidating and further boosting the stable and positive momentum for economic development.
(Source: INTCE)
