China's Mega Water System Transforms Farmland and Rural Lives
China has built the world's largest and most advanced water management system. Over the past five years, the country has expanded irrigation, restored rivers and lakes, and digitised millions of water sources. These efforts have improved water access for rural communities while keeping total consumption under strict control.
Between 2021 and 2025, China added more than 53 million mu (3.53 million hectares) of irrigated farmland. By the end of 2025, the total irrigated area reached over 1.09 billion mu. Despite rising grain production and economic growth, annual water use stayed below 610 billion cubic metres.
The country now operates around 95,000 reservoirs and dams, with a combined storage capacity of over 1 trillion cubic metres. A key part of the system is the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which moves over 87 billion cubic metres of water annually. This network covers 80.3 percent of China's land area, making it the most extensive in the world.
To improve rural water access, authorities completed 82,900 supply projects. These upgrades brought tap water to 495 million rural residents, raising coverage to 96 percent. Large-scale water systems now serve 71 percent of the rural population.
China has also focused on restoring rivers and lakes. Since 2022, 88 water bodies were selected for the river revitalisation initiative, with 61 located in key economic zones like Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Yangtze Delta, and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao. Previously dry rivers now flow again, and shrinking lakes have been replenished.
For better management, 26 million water objects were digitised into a smart network system. Ecological efforts include a 10-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River and experiments to regulate its aquatic environment.
The projects have strengthened China's water security and modernised its infrastructure. Rural communities now have better access to clean water, while stricter controls keep overall consumption stable. The digital twin system and restoration work ensure long-term sustainability for rivers, lakes, and farmland.
