China’s five ministries issued a notice implementing a comprehensive
water‑conservation plan, imposing dual controls on total water use and water‑use
intensity with scientific target‑setting and basin-, provincial-, city- and
county‑level total‑use control indicators. The plan mandates differential
intensity controls, a formal water‑budget system, and strengthened review and
permitting for plans and construction projects involving water development and
withdrawals. It tightens in‑project and post‑approval supervision, introduces
credit evaluations for water extraction, and requires water‑saving facilities to
be designed, built and commissioned alongside main projects. Authorities will
step up restrictions in water‑stressed regions including Beijing‑Tianjin‑Hebei
and the Yellow River basin and strictly curb blind approval of
high‑water‑consumption projects.
