China Invests in Water Diversion Project

China has invested CNY140.5bn ($20.9bn) in the South-to-North Water Diversion project between 2006 and 2010, which will carry water from Yangtze River in the south to supply drought-prone cities such as Beijing and Tianjin.

This investment accounts for 62% of the total budget of CNY228.9bn ($34bn).

Started in 2002, the project includes construction of three water diversion routes, namely eastern, central and western, with each stretching more than 1,000km.

The eastern route will start supplying water in 2013, while the central route will start in 2014, according to xinhuna.net.