BEIJING - Water shortages, pollution and environmental deterioration have restrained  China's sustainable development despite the country's water conservation efforts, a senior official said Friday.

Although China has made remarkable achievements in the utilization and management of water resources, the country is still challenged by short supplies and uneven distribution in the sector, said Hu Siyi, vice minister of water resources.

Hu made the remarks at a ceremony held to mark the premiere of an educational animated film titled "Finding the Water Spirit," which was created to enhance water conservation awareness among children.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, China's average per capita water resources amount to only 2,100 cubic meters annually, or about 28 percent of the global average.

About two-thirds of Chinese cities are water-needy, while nearly 300 million rural residents lack access to safe drinking water, leading to a national water shortage of over 50 billion cubic meters on average every year, Hu noted.

Meanwhile, excessive exploitation have caused a range of environmental problems, including poor water quality in some areas, Hu said.

Hu said China's accelerating industrialization and urbanization will create more pressure to meet demand for water in the future. He called on the public to make more efforts to conserve water and ease the national shortage.