Comparative Study on the Regional Characteristics of China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project
Authors:   Asia-Europe Perspective Association, Kang Jae-Shik , Lee Jong-Gu 
Published: June 2018

The study analyzes each property of 3 areas relating to South-to-North Water Transfer Project which promotes water resource in rational usage through artificial space-rearrangement so that Chinese government would solve the imbalance distribution of water resource between south and north.
Imbalance distribution of water resource in Northern area of China is a representative example of ecological environment changes which have chronically progressed. Especially, relatively terrible drought and shortage of water is bringing about serious life crisis in north-west area.
Desertification is already starting widely from Xinjiang Uigur region to Gansu, Qinghai, Neimeng and Shanxi Province. Chinese people feel it is social-economical crisis in itself as well as a big natural disaster that desertification is going to 80km of Beijing, the capital of China.
Chinese government is developing South-to-North Water Transfer Project which promotes water resource in rational usage through artificial space-rearrangement to solve imbalance distribution of water resource between south and north in China.
South-to-North Water Transfer Project in China had begun the construction since 2002 in Eastern Route, Middle Route and Western Route through long-term public survey, the study and fundamental design process. 3 constructions of each area has their own properties on geographic environment, construction conditions, and construction object.
Eastern Route is located in Eastern seaside area of China in which population rate is high and the first construction of three ones began there.
The main business of Eastern Route construction is to supply industrial water stably with eastern seaside and Tianjin city including Shandong Province. Especially, it is closed to east coast which plays role of tow car of China Economy and its altitude is low. Difficulty of construction is also low because Grand Canal has been since it was long time ago and social-economical effects on the areas is very great when the construction is done. But it is a weak point that they can supply water only after they purify contaminated water of Yangtze River downstream.
Middle Route will prepare for the formal part which is important for the solution of water-shortage in big cities such as Beijing, Tianjin, and Shijiazhuang. The main business of Middle Route construction aims at supply water of Danjiangkou reservoir located at an altitude of 976 meters with Beijing and Tianjin city by the natural-fall way.
Because the capital of China, Beijing and a great city, Tianjin is the final destinations, actual effects as well as symbolism of the project is expected to be enormous. But it can cause damage by decrease in water amount of catchment area.
The goal of Western Route construction is to build a great canal from Jinsha River which comes from Tibet and finally to promote afforestation of Neimeng area and civilization of north-west area by connecting the canal to upstream area of Yellow River. It is expected to be the project which can give innovative effects on ecological environment.
Depending on the result of the successful completion, the effects on this area can be considerable because desertification has progressed and it is too serious for human to live there for a long time. Comparing to 2 other routes, the level of difficulty is very high, and the detail plan of construction is not set, yet. Due to those reasons, the construction has not begun, yet and in China, there is a sharp conflict of opinions on the expected effects and side effects.
South-to-North Water Transfer Project in China is a national project which has been strategically planned for 100 years and supported widely by public. Besides, the government ever has consistently pushed ahead the project and they have a clear cause for that, “the solution of survival” and the route of pragmatism. Thus, South-to-North Water Transfer Project gets lots of positive reputations in China.