Beijing, China
Beijing, a megacity and second-largest city in China, is located in the northern part of the country. Home to a diversity of climates, ranging from tropical in the south to subarctic in the north, it spans over 9.5 million square kilometers. Beijing’s rainfall is mainly concentrated in the summer months and receives low amounts from September to April. Since the mid-20th century, rainfall has decreased; this trend is expected to continue due to climate change. Home to approximately 21 million people, Beijing is a leading city for culture, politics, economics, education, and science and technology. The expansion of Beijing has brought to the forefront challenges of urbanization, including heavy traffic and poor air quality, and water-related challenges.
The city is one of the most water-scarce in the world. It faces significant water security challenges. The heavy reliance on groundwater has resulted in a continued decline of the groundwater table under Beijing for decades. It has depleted aquifers, causing land subsidence, therefore driven some industries and private households to explore and dig deeper wells. The Beijing Water Authority is responsible for implementing national laws, regulations, policies, and strategic plans on water-related affairs at the provincial level. Beijing’s water supply and wastewater disposal networks are operated by separate corporate entities owned by the municipal government.
As part of the “green transformation” of China’s economy, the central government has allocated 78.3 billion yuan (USD 12 billion) to tackle water pollution across the country during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025). Water tariffs set by the central government and adjusted by the provincial and municipal price bureaus have been implemented in urban areas, including Beijing, as an incentive to curb residential water demand. Political and technical responses have primarily been on the supply side. New projects focus on supplementing the water supply (e.g., groundwater exploitation through new deep well fields, desalination, and the South-North Water Transfer). To date, there have been some water conservation efforts, but their impacts have been limited. Beijing is looking to improve its water storage, which refers to the balance between water supply and demand.
