Core Viewpoint - The press conference highlighted the achievements in high-quality water conservancy development during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, emphasizing significant investments and infrastructure improvements in China's water management system [1][4]. Investment and Infrastructure Development - Water conservancy construction investment reached over 1 trillion yuan in 2022, marking a historical record, with projections of 13.529 billion yuan in 2024 and a total investment exceeding 5.4 trillion yuan during the "14th Five-Year Plan," which is 1.6 times that of the "13th Five-Year Plan" [1]. - A total of 172 major water conservancy projects were initiated, with the completion of 95,000 reservoirs, 200 large and medium-sized water diversion projects, and 31,800 kilometers of embankments by the end of 2024 [1][4]. Water Resource Utilization - The capacity for water resource conservation and utilization has improved, with the national water network coverage expected to reach 80.3% by the end of 2024, and irrigated farmland area reaching 1.09 billion acres [1][5]. - The South-to-North Water Diversion Project's East and Middle Line has transferred over 83 billion cubic meters of water, benefiting 195 million people in 48 large and medium-sized cities [6]. Structural and Functional Optimization - The water conservancy sector has focused on optimizing layout, structure, function, and system integration, with significant progress in constructing major water diversion projects and enhancing water supply capabilities [5][6]. - The total water diversion capacity of north-south and east-west channels has reached 819 billion cubic meters and 734 billion cubic meters, respectively [6]. Agricultural Water Security - The water conservancy department has implemented measures to enhance food security, including the development of modern irrigation districts and the modernization of 1,959 large and medium-sized irrigation districts, increasing irrigated area by over 20 million acres [7]. - In response to droughts, targeted actions were taken to ensure water supply for crops, with 62 billion cubic meters of water released to support 18.3 million acres of autumn crops during severe droughts in 2022 [7][8]. Water Efficiency Improvement - By the end of 2024, the area of water-saving irrigation is expected to reach 63.8 million acres, a 12.5% increase from the end of the "13th Five-Year Plan," with a reduction in average water usage per acre [8].

Core Viewpoint - The Chinese government is accelerating the construction of major water conservancy projects to enhance water resource allocation and supply security, as outlined in the recent policy document on river protection and governance. Group 1: Major Water Projects - Since 2022, 12 major water diversion projects, including those in the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River, have been completed, adding an annual water diversion capacity of 124.8 billion cubic meters [1] - New projects, such as the North Bay Water Resource Allocation and the Jilin Water Network, are expected to add another 142.3 billion cubic meters of annual water diversion capacity upon completion [1] Group 2: Reservoir and Flood Control - 24 large reservoirs, including the Xijiang Datiangxia and Xinjiang Dashimen, have been completed, increasing water supply capacity by 34.6 billion cubic meters and flood control capacity by 26.6 billion cubic meters [3] - New flood control and key water source projects, including the Yellow River Guxian, are projected to add 49 billion cubic meters of water supply capacity and 36.7 billion cubic meters of flood control capacity [3] Group 3: Policy and Funding Support - The South-to-North Water Diversion Project has delivered over 800 billion cubic meters of water, benefiting 185 million people, and is crucial for optimizing water resource allocation and ensuring drinking water safety [5] - The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) is increasing support for major water projects, with an average increase of 20 percentage points in central investment support for new medium-sized irrigation and water diversion projects [7] Group 4: Integrated Infrastructure Development - The NDRC and the Ministry of Water Resources are focusing on the integration of flood control projects with irrigation and high-standard farmland construction to maximize comprehensive benefits [9]