Relief, Drainage and Water Availability in China By Sid, Shaq, Sulei and Dan

The Land East and South of China is low lying fertile land where most of China’s agriculture takes place and most of it’s population is. West and North of China are mostly basins, such as the Gobi and Taklamakan basin, and plateaus such as the Tibetan plateau-  the highest tableland on Earth, with elevation ranging from 2,000m to 4,500m The Tibetan Plateau is known for many cascading waterfalls and lakes- 50% of the major river systems in China have there source here. 9,600,000km^2 of land area; 3rd largest in world.

Continued Generally, mountains, plateaus and hills cover 70% of the land, with basins covering 19% Flood plains include the Yellow river plain and the Yangtze plain, with the Yellow River plain being the largest alluvial plain in east Asia. China borders 14 countries and 5 water bodies such as the Yellow Sea and Korean bay Upland basins in the North and Northeast account for 40% of China’s drainage area

Background The most famous valley is the Jiuzhaigou valley, part of the Min Mountains and at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau- it covers 720km^2 Other valleys near the Jiuzhaigou valley include Rize Valley in the South-West, Zechawa Valley in the South-East. The Qinling Mountains provide a natural barrier between North and South China. China has 50,000 rivers, the drainage basins of each being over 100 sq km , and a combined length of 420,000km with 1,500 of these rivers exceeding 1,000 sq km in area of their drainage basin.

10 Biggest Rivers in China

Yangtze River Longest river in Asia and 3rd longest in the world, flowing for 6,300km. Longest in world to flow only in one country. Drainage basin- 1,808,500 km2 Average discharge-30,166 m3/s  Source- Geladaindong Peak, which is in the Tanggula Mountains, Qinghai - elevation 5,042m Mouth- East China Sea near to Shanghai, and Jiangsu Located on the River are 2 dams- The Three Gorges Dam and Gezhouba Dam Drainage density is quite high, averaging 0.36 km stream length per 500 sq km

Three Gorges Dam Creates the largest amount of hydroelectric power of any dam in the world- 22,250 megawatts Built for flood control, irrigation and electricity. By reducing electricity needs for China, Three Gorges Dam has saved 31 million tons of coal per year being used. However 1.24 million people had to move homes due to flooding caused by the dam. Large amounts of animal habitats have also been destroyed by the building of the dam, whilst pollution accumulation in the river is also an issue.

Yellow River 6th Longest in world- 5,464 km Drainage basin- 752,000 km2 Source- Bayan Har Mountains with elevation of 4,800 m. Mouth- Bohai Sea, Shandong The Yellow River is notable for the large amount of silt it carries—1.6 billion tons annually, therefore giving it the yellow appearance. Commission in 2007 found 33.8% of river registering worse than level 5 against the UN environment program scale. Level five is unfit for drinking, aquaculture, industrial use, or even agriculture.

Heilong Jiang River (also known as Amur River) 10th Longest River in the world Length- 2,824km Source is in the hills of Western Manchuria where the rivers  Shilka and Ergune meet, at a hight of 303m. Mouth- located on Strait of Tartary in Russia Drainage Basin- 1,855,000 km2

Where are shortages/surpluses? Only around 15-20% of Chinas lands is inhabited leaving a large majority free. The higher areas in the south west consist of the water sources and the North faces droughts in comparison to floods that can occur in the South. 80% of the water supply is in the south. Quighai Lake in the North west is the largest lake in the country.

Mostly low lying land where the majority of the population lives Mountainy areas in the north west Rivers running from higher land to lower land to finally reach the sea Example of drainage basin in this area

Comparing the previous map to this Large flat lands, more inland receive a lot less water meaning they are reliant on supply from the east. Mountainy areas of china receive a lot more water compared to other places. They are also close to the sea meaning more water is received through water cycle.

2010-11 Droughts This impacted eight provinces in the northern part of the China It was the worst drought to hit the country in 60 years, and it affected most of wheat-producing regions in China. The drought caused water shortages for an estimated 2.31 million people and 2.57 million livestock. Within the eight provinces, 20% of the farmland and 35% of the entire wheat crop was impacted.

Water Supply- The Issues 13% of users in China receive water at an inadequate pressure 60% of China's 661 cities face seasonal water shortage, and over 100 cities have severe water constraints. Contamination of drinking water from faeces is a critical health problem in China, as in other developing countries, that causes serious illnesses such as diarrhoea and viral hepatitis. Currently, China is facing a shortage of water due to climate and rapid development.

Issues China will face a water supply deficit of up to 201 billion cubic meters in the next two decades if the country does not adopt proper water-saving technologies and practices. Given the drastic growth in industrial and municipal water use, China's total water demand could reach 818 billion cu m by 2030, but the supply would stay at only 619 billion cu m, the report estimates. Over 60% of rivers in urban areas are polluted harming surrounding wildlife. This has lead to the China river crisis. Due to the polluted waters over 300 out of the 657 major cities within China face water shortages.

Water Demand Total water withdrawals were estimated at 554 cubic kilometres in 2005, or about 20% of renewable resources. Demand is from: 65% agriculture 23% industry 12% domestic In 2006 626,000 square kilometres were irrigated.