Action Plan to Save Water

Action Plan to Save Water

The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Water Resources released an action plan on April 15 to tighten water consumption.

According to the plan， by 2020， water consumption per RMB 10，000 （US $1，487） of GDP is expected to drop by 23 percent from that in 2015， with a 20 percent reduction in the amount of water used to produce RMB 10，000 industrial added value.

In addition， Chinas overall water consumption will be controlled at no more than 670 billion cubic meters by 2022 with improved conservation. By 2035， the figure will be kept below 700 billion cubic meters， with water conservation and recycling having reached a world-leading level.

The plan sets six key tasks， including control of overall water consumption， reducing agricultural， industrial， and urban use of water， and technological innovation. In the meantime， the measures of establishing water prices and cultivating a competitive service market will be implemented to deepen reform. The plan encourages private capital to join and expand financing channels.

China has a chronic water shortage， facing a shortfall of 50 billion cubic meters of fresh water each year. In the meantime， public awareness of conserving water and preventing waste has to be improved.

More International Students in China

A total of 492，185 international students studied in China in 2018， a slight increase （0.62 percent） from 2017， according to the Ministry of Education. The students came from 196 countries and regions， and mostly concentrated in the cities and provinces of Beijing， Shanghai， Jiangsu， and Zhejiang.

South Korea ranked first with 50，600 students last year， followed by Thailand with 28，608， and Pakistan with 28，023. The United States ranked fifth with 20，996 students. When analyzed from the angle of continents， Asia， Africa， and Europe are the top three sources of international students in China， accounting for 59.95 percent， 16.57 percent， and 14.96 percent respectively.

The number of students pursuing education with record of formal schooling reached 258，122， an increase of 6.86 percent year-on-year， accounting for 52.44 percent of the total. Students studying for their masters and doctoral degrees increased to 85，062 with an increase of 12.28 percent over 2017.

Two Chinese Mountains Named UNESCO Global Geoparks

In April China saw two more sites added to the UNESCO Global Geopark List. According to UNESCOs official website on April 17， Yimeng Mountain in East Chinas Shandong Province and Jiuhua Mountain in East Chinas Anhui Province are now formally recognized UNESCO Global Geoparks.

The Yimeng Mountain Geopark is home to one of Asias largest kimberlite-type diamond mines， the site where the first primary diamonds were discovered in China. The landscape is dotted with castlelike land formations as well as multiple cultural heritage sites which include the Xialou Pavilion that Confucius is believed to have once visited， the 1，500-year-old Marshal Tree， and several renowned temples.

Jiuhua Mountain， whose name literally means “Nine Glorious Mountains，” is home to sacred Buddhist temples. But beyond the religious， historical， and cultural significance of these mountains， they also provide a major source of fresh water that feeds the Yangtze River system. Unique and favorable geological conditions have contributed to the flourishing of the regions biodiversity and cultural traditions.

With this years additions of sites to the UNESCO Global Geopark List， the network now has 147 parks in 41 countries， 39 of which are located in China.

Asteroid Named after Chinese Scientist

An asteroid has been named after the leading Chinese astrophysicist Zhou Youyuan， with approval from the International Astronomical Union （IAU）. Chinas National Astronomical Observatories recently held a ceremony in Beijing to officially announce the naming of the asteroid， and presented the communique， the naming certificate， and orbital diagram to Zhou.

Asteroid Zhouyouyuan， coded 120730， was discovered in 1997 by astronomers with the Beijing Schmidt CCD Asteroid Program at the Xinglong observatory in north China， according to an IAU communique. The asteroid number coincided with Zhous birthday on July 30.

Zhou， born in 1938， is an astrophysicist and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He has made outstanding contributions to research in the fields of quasars and active galaxies， nuclear and cosmology， and large-scale structures of the universe.