At the construction site of the second phase of Qingyukou Reservoir in Bazhong, Sichuan, the roar of heavy construction machinery spread throughout the valley and valleys. Since the beginning of 2026, the progress of China's national water network construction has continued to exceed expectations. In the first eight months, investment in water conservancy construction remained stable at a high level of 690.3 billion yuan, and 38000 ongoing projects were launched nationwide. Water conservancy infrastructure is becoming a key support for stabilizing investment, ensuring people's livelihoods, and guaranteeing food security.

The pace of major project commencement exceeds that of last year's entire year

From January to August, 28 major water conservancy projects were newly started nationwide, exceeding the total number of projects started in 2025. As one of the 150 major water conservancy projects in China, Qingyukou Reservoir in Sichuan Province has completed 86% of the total project, and the main dam body filling is about to enter the final stage. The concrete pouring node of the left bank dam is expected to be successfully completed by the end of October, and the housing delivery rate of the supporting resettlement site has reached 92%. In the pre excavation area of the Three Gorges Water Transport New Channel, new energy heavy trucks dispatched by Beidou Navigation are shuttling back and forth, directly improving the overall transportation and allocation efficiency by 30%. It is expected that all excavation operations in the pre excavation area will be completed by the end of September, 12 days ahead of the original plan, and the next process will be delivered. The cumulative completed earthwork excavation volume has exceeded 12.7 million cubic meters.

The modernization and renovation of irrigation areas are accelerating simultaneously. As a national landmark project, the first batch of projects in Qingtongxia Irrigation Area in Ningxia will complete channel protection by the end of October, laying a solid foundation for the smooth implementation of winter irrigation this year. After the renovation is completed, the water utilization coefficient of the canal system will be increased from 0.46 to 0.58, and the annual water-saving capacity will exceed 120 million cubic meters. As of the end of August, over 12000 kilometers of canal lining in irrigation areas have been completed nationwide, with nearly 3 million acres of newly restored irrigation area. The water conservancy support capacity for grain production has been further strengthened. After the completion of the Haidong Tunnel for water diversion in central Yunnan, 78% of the remaining ancillary works have been completed. The preparation work for the commissioning of the entire water supply channel is being carried out in an orderly manner, and the trial water supply of the entire line will be achieved within the year.

The vitality of water conservancy investment and financing continues to be released

The reform of water conservancy investment and financing continues to deepen, with 13.43 billion yuan of private capital introduced into national water conservancy construction from January to August, a significant increase of 80.1% year-on-year. Local government special bonds and green credit policy financial instruments have been jointly launched through multiple channels. The issuance scale of water conservancy special bonds has reached 187.2 billion yuan, accounting for nearly 27% of the total investment of all projects. The balance of new green credit in the water conservancy field has increased by 41.7% year-on-year, providing stable financial support for project construction.

The total number of employed people in water conservancy projects under construction nationwide has exceeded 1.4 million, of which local migrant workers account for over 72%, directly driving new production value of over 210 billion yuan in upstream and downstream industries such as engineering machinery, pipe materials, and smart water management. The coverage of the national rural water supply guarantee project has increased by 12.7 million people, and the rural tap water penetration rate has risen to 94.1%. From the dam foundation of a reservoir in the deep mountains of Southwest China, to the excavation site of a waterway along the Yangtze River, and to the channel lining construction site in the northwest irrigation area, a modern water network framework covering the whole country is rapidly taking shape.

These cross regional and cross basin water conservancy nodes will ultimately transform into solid barriers for regional flood control, water supply, food security, and provide a foundation for the long-term stable operation of the economy and society. Editor/Cheng Liting