China's water resources are in an urgent need to be protected, according to an article in Guangming Daily. An excerpt follows:

China is facing a serious water shortage. It is estimated that water deficiency is plaguing 400 out of China's more than 660 cities with the situation ever-worsening in 110 of them. Annually, another 6 billion cubic metres water is needed in urban areas.

Besides water shortage, pollution of water resources is another worrisome issue.

Monitoring of the country's seven major water systems shows only about 29.5 per cent of water would reach third grade standard for treatment of water. And the quality of 44 per cent of water belongs to the fifth, worst grade. Meanwhile, about a half of ground water has been polluted to different degrees.

In addition, there is also the problem of overuse of underground water, which has resulted in sinking of ground in some cities.

Water shortage is a worldwide issue.

As the most populous country in the world, China also suffers seriously from the scarcity of pure water. Because of the lack of a water-conservation consciousness for a long time, the country's water resources have not been used wisely and protected enough. According to experts, the public is accustomed to extensive water use and the potential for water saving is huge.

So building a water-saving-conscious society is the strategy for seeking sustainable development.

The public should improve their customs of water use, keeping conservation in mind.

The government should strengthen its macro-control of water resources and prevent and control environmental pollution. Monopoly in the water industry should be broken. A unified system of supervision of water resources should be set up to create effective management nationwide.

Water prices should be adjusted in line with the seasons. In water-deficient areas, extra taxation should be levied to limit water use.

Meanwhile, optimizing the allocation of water resources should make full use of the market mechanism. It is estimated that there will be trillions of yuan of business opportunities in the market, among which sewage treatment will comprise a market share of 400 billion yuan (US$48.3 billion). And water resources should not be regarded as a welfare benefit but as a commodity.