Consideration on Western Route Project for South-to-North Water Diversion

Since 2003, the water output to the sea from the Yellow River (based on the calculation of Lijin cross section) keeps the volume of 20 billion m(3), which could satisfy the water demand for the sediment load in the lower reachers and the water demand fro the ecosystem in the estuary. Especially in 2006, the water inflow of the Yellow River is equal to the average level of that in the 1990s, and the water consumption of surface water is a bit higher that the average level of 1990s, while the outflow to the sea has increased 45% than the 1990s. This situation would bring a gloss that if we use the water saving technology, through the policy legislation, establishing management system and mechanism, and strengthen the water using management and realize the long - range monitoring and contole, the water shortage of the Yellow River would be settled by itself. With the formulating on the situation of Yellow River natural water inflow and output volume to the sea in the resent years, and with the analyzing on the trend of water recharge in the Yellow River, the water demands of the Yellow River Basin and the related areas, the author reasoned that based on the development of water saving technology in the river basin, it's nassissary to start the Western Route Project for South - to - North Water Diversion as soon as possible to really relieve or even settle the problem of water demand in the Yellow River.