Work starts on plan to protect water resources

BEIJING - A plan to protect the country's water resources has been drafted, according to the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR).

The plan, scheduled to be finished within two years, aims to strengthen water resources protection, ensure supply of safe drinking water, maintain healthly rivers and lakes, and promote sustainable use, Vice-Minister Hu Siyi said at a video conference at a launch of the work.

China's per capita possession of water resources is 2,100 cubic meters, or 28 percent of the world's water supply, and water pollution, caused by a rapidly urbanizing society, has aggravated the country's water provision, according to the ministry.

MWR data showed that 40 percent of rivers in the country were seriously polluted and unfit for drinking after 75 billion tonnes of sewage and wastewater were discharged in 2010.