China to invest USD 6.6 bln in water conservation in Tibet

China plans to invest about 40 billion yuan (USD 6.16 billion) in water conservancy projects in Tibet in the next five years to improve the water quality of its rivers and lakes and expand access to tap water in the countryside.
As more than 70 per cent of Tibetans are herders and farmers, water sources for grassland and farmland are very important.
"We will accelerate construction of small farmland water projects, improve the efficiency of irrigation water use and boost the production capacity of farmland," said Dawa Zhaxi, director of the department of water conservation.
Tibet will also develop forage grass bases and ensure water supply to grassland and woods, he said.

The investment is also expected to help ease floods and droughts in Tibet, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The central government spent 22.3 billion yuan on water conservancy infrastructure in Tibet in the past five years, benefiting some 1.8 million farmers and nomads.
From 2011 to 2015, Tibet saw its water supply capacity increase by 700 million cubic meters.
About 1.5 million mu (100,000 hectares) of irrigation areas were created or improved, the report said.