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| FAQ |
| Does China's agriculture have a water problem? |
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Yes - it has at
least three types of water problems. First, there is a serious water deficit in northern
and north-eastern China. Rainfall is insufficient and rivers are frequently drying out.
These water resource deficit is amplified by inefficient irrigation systems. Experts
estimate, that poorly maintained and badly managed irrigation systems have water losses of
up to 60%. |
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Second, provinces
along the main river systems (Yangtze, Yellow River) have a high flooding risk. Flooding
is the major reason for losses in cultivated land. |
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Water pollution from
industries and untreated urban sewage systems is a serious problem in some agricultural
areas that depend on irrigation. China has - by far - the highest total emission of
organic water pollutants in the world. It is equivalent to the emissions of the USA,
Japan, and India combined. |
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Revision 2.0 (First revision published in 1999)
- Copyright © 2011 by Gerhard K. Heilig. All rights reserved. (First revision: Copyright © 1999 by IIASA.) |
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