BEIJING (Asia Times) - China plans to invest about 40 billion yuan (US$5 billion) over the next 10 years on drinking-water projects in rural areas, said Minister of Water Resources Wang Shucheng.

The plan will be implemented in two phases, said Wang. Phase 1 is aimed at providing 160 million rural residents with drinking water in the next five years, while in Phase 2 all Chinese rural residents will be provided with potable water by 2015.

Wang said 312 million Chinese villagers are facing water shortages or have water supplies contaminated by fluorine, arsenic, high levels of salt, or other organic or industrial pollutants.

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Posted by rjorr at September 8, 2006 12:06 PM