Sustainable water resources exploitation and management in Beijing

Beijing, the capital of China, is a large city with a shortage of water. From 1999 to 2003, Beijing experienced a five-year drought which threatened the security of domestic and economic water use. The problem requires immediate solution through exploitation of water resources in the local basin, improving the utilization efficiency, transfer of water from outside basins and strengthening management and protection. In the near future, Beijing should rely more upon exploitation of the local water resources. Furthermore, the South-to-North Water Transfer Project will be a basic facility for mitigating the water resource crisis in Beijing. The reform of the management regime in Beijing demonstrates that the idea of sustainable management has become the fundamental prerequisite to the exploitation and utilization of water resources.