Capital Thirst

The Water Affairs Bureau of Beijing recently revealed that the city's water resources per head per year has plummeted to 100 cubic meters, one-tenth of the water scarcity threshold of 1,000 cubic meters on the Falkenmark Water Stress Indicator, which is widely cited and used to measure a region's water supply. Beijing has never been water sufficient, and the thirst has been aggravated by the unabated drought of the past 12 years, the longest in history. Over this period annual rainfall has been 120 mm short of the historical norm. The 2009 Report of Beijing's Water Resources shows that the volume of its surface water, 676 million cubic meters, was merely 38 percent of the historical average, and its underground water, 1.508 billion cubic meters, fell by 634 million cubic meters from 2008. While supply has shrunk precipitously, demand has been rocketing, driven by vertiginous economic and social development. In its desperate efforts to narrow the gap, the capital is drilling deeper into the earth and diverting water from neighboring provinces. Excessive exploitation of groundwater has grim side effects: creating a huge hollow beneath the city and triggering degeneration of the local bio-environment. Officials and experts urge the public to be more water-frugal, and suggest a hike in water prices to encourage compliance.