TNC Study Suggests Nature Investment Improves Chinese Water

The Nature Conservancy (TNC) released the China Urban Water Blueprint showing nature can be pivotal to improving water quality for more than 150 million people. The report analyzed the state of water sources tapped by China’s 30 largest and fastest growing cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan. It found 73% watersheds face significant pollution, impacting the water quality for millions of people.

The report suggests that nature can be key to tackling water quality issues such as nutrient and sediment pollution. By targeting conservation strategies, including reforestation and improved agricultural practices, to roughly 1.4 million hectares, sediment and nutrient pollution could be measurably reduced – by at least 10% – in these small- to medium-sized water catchments. These conservation strategies have the potential to improve water quality for more than 150 million people.

Zhu Jiang, Deputy Director of the International Cooperation Center of the Ministry of Water Resources said at a press conference, “The power of nature to solve water crises should not be underestimated. In China, developing a natural model for water treatment can not only protect urban water source catchments to ensure water safety, but effectively lower the costs of water treatment.”

While China encompasses almost 20% of the world’s population, the country contains only 7% of the world’s freshwater, leaving it with much less annual freshwater available per capita than most other countries.

The report notes two-thirds of China’s population lives in cities, and the health of water catchments directly impacts the lives and socio-economic status for 860 million people and US$2.7 trillion in economic activity.

The report found that less than 6% of China’s land mass provides more than two-thirds of the country’s water supply. Pollution limits the amount of water available for use, with one-third of the country’s lakes and rivers no longer suitable for human consumption. In China, non-point source water pollution is mostly caused by land development and agricultural production.

The study suggests government, businesses and local stakeholders should work closely together to tackle the water challenge. Adopting a cooperative water fund model can provide a finance and governance mechanism for a large-scale conservation action. Zhao Peng, Deputy Director for TNC China, talked about the organization’s effort to bring conservation strategies and the water fund model to China. “The water fund model provides a financial mechanism for large-scale conservation actions. This model drives water users to invest in catchment projects,” Peng said.

TNC China launched its first water fund in 2015 in the Longwu Reservoir in Hanghu County, Yuhang, Zhejiang Province. TNC scientists came to Longwu and explored a water fund trust management model to protect water sources. Wanxiang Trust obtained the management rights of the reservoir’s forested land and developed different environment-friendly business activities to gradually improve the local ecosystem.

Source: The Nature Conservancy