Making every drop count

Despite sporadic rain and snow in the lead-up to spring, Beijing continues to battle one of its driest spells ever. Today marks World Water Day, and a prime opportunity for the capital to rethink ways to replenish the city. Many Beijingers have mixed views on how to solve the water crisis, but most agree urgent action must be taken.

Saying no to higher rates

"I understand there is a water shortage problem in Beijing, but I can't really say I've been affected by it in my daily life," said 48-year-old architect, Tang Cishen. Tang found out about World Water Day from the media, but he doesn't know how the day is commemorated in the city.

He believes that raising the rates for water usage - a scheme proposed during the recently concluded two political sessions - isn't the answer.

"It's a behavioral problem. People need to change the way they use water," noted Tang. "Some go to the bathhouse because they don't have a bathroom at home, while for others it's the only way they can relax. How can China lead the world if it can't even solve its own problems? The best solution is for the government to take action."

Li Xiang, a 24-year-old university student, learnt about World Water Day on microblogging website Weibo and from a conversation with his parents.

"The water crisis is in the news all the time. The media reports the problem, but I don't recall ever hearing solutions. Most people are aware of the water shortage, but they don't know what to do to resolve it," Li said.

"Bathhouses and swimming pools aren't so much the problem. Rich people and companies are the culprits who waste the most water, that's why they should put levies on excessive water usage, rather than just raising the rates across the board for everyone."

Lobbyists make a splash

Environmentalists and water conservationists agree there's no easy fix to Beijing's worsening water crisis. The government's South-North Water Transfer Project to better utilize water resources available to China has been criticized as an unsustainable scheme due to its social and environmental impact that includes the relocation of 300,000 rural residents and the crippling effect on Yangtze River transportation.

Experts stress that changes must start with Beijing residents themselves, who need to alter their water-wasting lifestyles. "Beijing is naturally dry. Its natural resources have remained the same, though its urban population has grown dramatically. Population is the key factor," noted Ma Jun, a prominent environmentalist and author of 2004 book China's Water Crisis. "The average annual water availability in China is 2,200 cubic meters per person. The current availability in Beijing is 100 cubic meters per person."

Zhang Junfeng, founder of the non-governmental water resource watchdog Happy Water Journeys, believes part of the problem is that many people turn a blind eye to the crisis. "Efforts from the central and local governments and NGOs won't be enough if people don't change their lifestyles and assume responsibility," Zhang warned.

Education through awarenessMa suggested that turning off Beijing's taps for an hour - similar to the Earth Hour imitative of switching off lights for an hour - could serve as a profound reminder to people that water is scarce and should be cherished. "People need to learn about the causes and effects of the problem," Zhang added.

"Along with maintaining constant vigilance of water usage at home and at work, I believe that we must educate ourselves to know how much water goes into the products that we consume every day. This way, we'll be able to make wiser choices and select better products," noted Fiona Lawrie, chief operating officer with Beijing-based NGO Thirst, a global arm of the World Economic Forum aimed at educating and raising awareness of water conservation. Lawrie added that it is up to consumers to demand manufacturers find more sustainable ways to produce their products.

"There is room for improvement because there's wasteful usage in Beijing and water efforts are still limited," noted Ma, hinting the capital could learn from the models of agricultural irrigation in Israel or sewage treatment in Singapore. "We'd better start today, otherwise we'll face a much bigger problem soon."