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Tuesday marks the third anniversary of the start of operations of the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, a massive infrastructure program designed to transport water from the south of the country to the arid northern regions via three separate channels.
▲ The Danjiangkou Reservoir in Shiyan, Hubei province, is a source area for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.
So far, more than 10 billion cubic meters of water have been carried to North China via the central route, benefiting more than 53 million people.
The environmental improvements that have resulted from protection efforts in the regions that supply the water — the provinces of Henan, Hubei and Shaanxi
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have attracted investment and brought new job opportunities in green industries, including tourism and ecological agriculture, benefiting people in the areas that supply the water.
▲ Residents stroll through the streets of Ankang city, Shaanxi province.
Xia Qinghua is one of them. The 43-year-old was employed in a small toy factory in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, for 12 years before he returned to his home, Chenjiawan, a village in Hubei's Shiyan city, in June.
He had long wanted to return, but was prevented by a shortage of jobs. However, the situation changed after Hubei Beidouxing Eco-agriculture and Forestry Co began investing in the area in 2014, lured by the cleaner environment.
"Great improvements have happened to the environment in my hometown. When I left at age 17, I had never seen an egret. Now, there are birds everywhere. They are beautiful," he said.
Though he earned more than 5,000 yuan ($756) a month in Shenzhen, Xia often had to work until 11 pm.
"The salary was good, but I felt lonely and helpless because I had no family around me," he said.
