28,000 rivers in China disappear

In the last 20 years, 28,000 Chinese rivers have disappeared, equaling 50% of the total number of rivers in the world's most populous country. Excessive resource exploitation is thought to be the main cause of this situation.

According to the Taiwan Central News Agency (China), thanks to the efforts of 800,000 investigators, the Ministry of Water Resources and the National Bureau of Statistics of China recently published the results of the national irrigation survey. For the first time, the number of rivers with an area of ​​100 km ² or more in this country has halved compared to the 1990s, meaning that in the past 20 years, 28,000 rivers have disappeared.

Environmental pollution has become a serious problem in China. (Photo: Internet)

Related Chinese officials say the main reason is due to climate change and the results of previous surveys are not accurate. However, many environmental experts voiced criticism that the disappearance of rivers indicates the implications of hasty, excessive exploitation and lack of community consultation.

According to the director of the Institute of Public Environmental Research Ma Tuan, although different methods of investigation may lead to different figures, the fact that there is a large flow of Chinese rivers disappearing is a fact. undisputed. Because China has exploited river resources excessively, mainly exploiting groundwater resources, destroying the environment and deserting forests.

Mr. Ma said that works such as the Three Gorges Dam are one of the reasons for the disappearance of many rivers. Certainly this situation will affect the supply of water to the most populous country in the world because according to the United Nations, China is one of 13 countries with the most serious water resources in the world.

In a related development, the new Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang recently pledged to increase transparency in the issue of environmental pollution, fearing that environmental problems could become a social unrest factor. in China.

According to the British Times newspaper, environmental pollution has replaced the land acquisition dispute, becoming the most resentful issue for Chinese people. The disappearance of rivers here is both an environmental problem and a social issue.