Beijing: China has announced the completion of what it describes as the world's largest and most comprehensive water infrastructure system. The country's investment in water conservancy projects during the 2021-2025 period is expected to exceed 5.4 trillion yuan ($757 billion).

According to Anadolu Agency, Water Resources Minister Li Guoying revealed that the investment during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) is forecasted to be 1.6 times higher than the previous 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020). Since the initiation of this plan, China has embarked on 172 significant water projects across the nation, enhancing the layout, structure, and integration of its water infrastructure.

By the conclusion of 2024, China's ambitious projects have resulted in the construction of 95,000 reservoirs, 200 large and medium-sized water transfer projects, 6,924 irrigation districts, and 318,000 kilometers (197,596 miles) of dikes. These developments have contributed to what officials claim is a world-leading system in terms of scale, functionality, and population coverage.

Minister Li also mentioned that China is progressing in its flood and drought defense capabilities. The nation now boasts 185.6 billion cubic meters of reservoir flood storage capacity, dikes that protect 660 million people, and 109 billion cubic meters of national flood detention capacity. Since the commencement of the 14th Five-Year Plan, the share of flood losses relative to GDP has decreased from 0.28% to 0.18%.

Looking forward to the end of the plan period in 2025, the national water network is projected to cover 80.3% of China. Additionally, irrigated farmland is expected to reach 72.7 million hectares (180 million acres), and rural tap water access will expand to 96% of the population.