BEIJING (Sept 29): China's total investment in water conservancy facility construction is expected to exceed 5.4 trillion yuan (about US$759.6 billion, or RM3.2 trillion) during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), 1.6 times the level in the previous five-year period, Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying said on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, China invested a record high of over 1.35 trillion yuan in the construction of water conservancy facilities in 2024. This follows the sector’s landmark achievement of surpassing one trillion yuan in 2022, marking a new milestone and setting record-breaking investment levels for three consecutive years.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has commenced construction on 172 major water conservancy projects, accelerating the optimisation of water infrastructure in terms of layout, structure, function, and system integration, Li said.