Ministry of Water Resources Encourages New-Style Agricultural Operating Entities to Invest in and Build Small-Scale Farmland Water Conservancy
On March 31, a reporter learned from a press conference held by the State Council Information Office that the state encourages cooperatives, large grain growers and other new-style operating entities to invest in and build small-scale farmland water conservancy facilities, and through certain measures allows “small-scale farmland water conservancy” projects funded by fiscal investment or built by farmers themselves to be held and maintained by farmers. In addition, China plans to solve the drinking water safety problem of 60 million rural residents this year.
Farmland water conservancy is the cornerstone of China's food security, and investment in farmland water conservancy has maintained a trend of continuous growth in recent years. Vice Minister of Water Resources Jiao Yong said: “Farmland water conservancy includes large-scale irrigation districts and medium-sized irrigation districts. This part is mainly funded by fiscal investment at all levels. Small irrigation districts, that is, the terminal canal systems at the field level, are funded through a model of government subsidies and farmers' independent construction. More work brings more subsidies, earlier work brings earlier subsidies, and no work brings no subsidies, encouraging farmers to invest in farmland water conservancy construction.”
Recently, the State Council issued a document proposing to encourage social capital to invest in and operate farmland water conservancy projects, encourage farmers' cooperatives, family farms, large grain growers and agricultural enterprises to invest in and build farmland water conservancy projects and soil and water conservation facilities, and allow small-scale agricultural water conservancy and soil and water conservation project assets formed by fiscal subsidies to be held and maintained by agricultural water user cooperative organizations. In response, Jiao Yong said: “The Ministry of Water Resources and the Ministry of Finance have specifically issued management measures for the property rights of small-scale water conservancy project construction. In this reform system, small-scale water conservancy projects funded by fiscal subsidies, farmers' investment or rural cooperative organizations' investment may be owned by the state and rural collectives, may be owned by new-style cooperative organizations, and of course may also be owned by individual farmers. The specific methods are guided and formulated by local governments, so as to mobilize farmers' enthusiasm for investing in water conservancy construction.”
Regarding the serious shortage of urban and rural water supply capacity in some regions, Jiao Yong said: “Our country has a very large territorial area, and there are indeed relatively large differences in water supply capacity and the level of guarantee among different regions. North China and Northwest China mainly face resource-based water shortages, and it is necessary to enhance the carrying capacity of local water resources through inter-basin water transfers. The Southwest region faces engineering-related water shortages. Although it has a certain amount of rainfall, it lacks the necessary storage and regulation projects, so whenever drought occurs in the Southwest region, urban and rural water supply becomes very tight. Therefore, corresponding storage and regulation projects and reservoir projects must be built to improve the level of guarantee for urban and rural water supply.”
In addition, Jiao Yong stated that this year's water conservancy investment focuses on three major areas: major water conservancy project construction, rural drinking water safety, and general water conservancy projects. This investment will certainly play a clear supporting and driving role in stabilizing China's economic growth and expanding domestic demand. In 2014, 17 major water conservancy projects were newly started, including Datengxia on the Xijiang River, Chushandian on the Huai River, Jiayan in Guizhou, and Laluo in Tibet. Major water conservancy projects under construction have reached 57, all of which are being accelerated. This year, 27 major water conservancy projects are also planned to be newly started. All have currently been approved, and relevant preliminary work and preparations before commencement are being accelerated, with construction to begin one after another within the year.