Xylem Value of Water Index: China

Xylem Value of Water Index: China Reveals Strongly Held Belief that Urgent Action is Required to Address Local Water Issues

The Xylem Value of Water Index: China reveals that 96 percent of the urban Chinese public believes that the water challenges in China are serious. Top-of-mind issues of concern include pollution, industrial discharge, and overconsumption.

Further, 99 percent of survey respondents believe that it is important for urgent action to be taken to address these challenges. The research also shows that there is a strong willingness to make personal contributions to solve these issues, with more than 94 percent of respondents willing to change their behavior around water use and more than 75 percent willing to pay more to support upgrading the water system to secure access to clean water.

The Chinese government plans to spend two trillion yuan ($330 billion) to address water challenges in China, specifically to improve water quality through upgrading infrastructure and investments in technology.1 More than two-thirds of survey respondents were most concerned about the water issues' effects on economic growth and innovation in China. Ninety-two percent of survey respondents support collaboration between the government and the private sector to address the challenges. The majority (88 percent) of water industry experts surveyed believe that private sector companies have a role to play in supporting this effort, specifically by developing technological innovation and providing the expertiseneeded to address China's water challenges.

"We conducted the Value of Water Index in China to better understand the public perception of water challenges here, in addition to gathering industry experts' opinions on possible solutions," said Shuping Lu, President of Xylem China. "We've learned that there is a broad understanding of the pressing need to address water challenges in China, and most people are willing to play a role to help achieve this important goal. There is meaningful progress being made in China, and Xylem hopes to support the government's efforts as we continue to identify and develop solutions together."

"As we all know, China's water crisis is serious, yet the true value of water has not been widely recognized. We cannot protect and conserve water without truly appreciating its value," said Weizhao Dai, Senior Partner of E20 Environment Platform and Executive President of E20 Institute. "The Value of Water Index we conducted together with Xylem aims to raise the public awareness of the value of water. We hope that this research encourages Chinese society to take action to protect water and promote China's environmental dream."

Source: MarketWatch

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• Environment
• Water Management
• Governance & Planning