Currently, various regions across China are entering the season of spring irrigation and sowing. Ministry of Water Resources guides water departments at all levels to carry out water storage and conservation, water resources scheduling, facility maintenance, water use management, scientific irrigation and other measures in a coordinated manner, so as to guarantee water supply for spring irrigation in an orderly way.

Firstly, efforts are made to scientifically distribute water resources, coordinate water demands for spring irrigation and agricultural production throughout the year, give full play to diversion and storage capacity as well as water supply potential of existing water projects, and strive to increase the available water supply for irrigation. Secondly, endeavors are tried to implement scientific irrigation, strengthen the application of digital-twin technologies, optimize irrigation schemes in a timely manner, and push forward precise irrigation. Thirdly, efforts are spared to strengthen analysis and decision making, comprehensively analyze crop planting structure, irrigation water demand, soil moisture, water resources allocation and future water inflow, and advance planning of drought resistance and emergency measures for different drought levels. Fourthly, endeavors are committed to accelerate the construction of irrigation districts, complete the restoration of disaster-damaged irrigation and drainage projects as soon as possible, and speed up the preparations for new projects. Fifthly, attempts are taken to promote water-saving technologies, timely send technicians to help improve irrigation methods, promote the application of mature and advanced water-saving irrigation technologies on the basis of local conditions, and foster specialized and socialized agricultural water-saving service organizations.

At present, Shanxi, Shandong, Shaanxi and other provinces in the Yellow River Basin have started spring irrigation. Irrigation districts including Weishan in Shandong province and Yuxi River in Sichuan province have carried out water storage in advance, by means of prioritizing the diversion of water to downstream channels of irrigation districts to alleviate water pressure during peak spring irrigation periods. Besides, irrigation districts in the Yangtze River Basin are accelerating the completion of winter repair and dredging of farmland water facilities as well as the restoration of water damaged works, in order to ensure safe and smooth water supply during the spring irrigation period.

Source: INTCE