BEIJING, Dec. 31 (Xinhua) -- Beijing has seen rising groundwater levels thanks to a massive project that has been diverting water from the Yangtze River basin for about a decade, reaping ecological benefits and satisfying its residents' thirst.

In recent days, bean geese have been seen flying over the Chaobai River, which is connected to the Miyun Reservoir, a major water source in the northeast of the city.

"These scenes were hard to imagine before as the river had dried up and birds were hardly seen," said Guo Dongjiang, who works in the Chaobai River management office in Beijing.

Guo said that in the 1990s, the Miyun Reservoir's water levels began declining due to population surges and rapid urban development. Most sections of Chaobai River had dried up by 1999, and the barren riverbed became a source of sand when it was windy.

Impacted by climate change, Beijing has endured droughts in more than 10 years since 1999. A large amount of groundwater, which once accounted for more than 50 percent of Beijing's total water usage, was exploited to satisfy the city's demand, according to Li Minshi, who works at the Beijing hydrological station.

Undesirable consequences emerged, with the groundwater depth in Beijing's plains dropping from 7.24 meters in 1980 to 25.75 meters in 2015, and many spring water areas drying up, Li said.

A turning point was seen in 2014, when China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project began transporting water over long distances from the country's south to its northern regions.

A large proportion of Beijing's drinking water now travels over 1,000 kilometers along the project's middle route from Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China's Hubei Province. The water flows north via canals and pipelines, crossing beneath the Yellow River before reaching Beijing's water treatment plants.

The city has received over 10.6 billion cubic meters of water through the project to date, 7.5 billion cubic meters of which has been used for piped water and directly benefited over 16 million people, with the remainder used to replenish groundwater, reservoirs, rivers and wetlands, among other water sources, according to data from the Beijing Water Authority.

The depth of groundwater in Beijing's plains has increased for nine consecutive years since 2015, rising to its current 12.31 meters. Groundwater reserves increased by 7 billion cubic meters during the same period.

According to Wang Junwen, deputy director of Beijing water resource dispatch and management affairs center, the proportion of groundwater in the city's water usage has decreased to less than 30 percent through strict controls and water supply renovation projects, among other factors.

"Over the past decade, the water sources of over 1,300 residential communities and workplaces have been upgraded from ground wells to piped water, contributing greatly to the recovery of groundwater levels," Wang said.

In 2021, water flows returned to the Chaobai River after water was diverted from reservoirs such as those in Beijing's Miyun and Huairou districts, which saw increasing reserve volumes.

In August 2024, the first-ever cruise route on Chaobai River opened to tourists, with travelers and students now seen frequently along the banks of the river crossing Shunyi district, where they sketch and paint the beautiful scenery.

"Thanks to the water diversion project, Beijing has bid farewell to the barren riverbeds of its past, and its rivers have even become tourist attractions," Guo said. "We have made progress in tackling water scarcity issues, and will continue to strengthen the conservation and intensive use of water resources." Enditem

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