Ministry of Water Resources: We must accelerate the construction of a modern water network and fully promote the construction and renovation of large and medium-sized irrigation areas.

On April 9, Li Guoying, Secretary of the Party Group and Minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, presided over a departmental meeting to summarize the progress of water conservancy work in the first quarter of 2026 and discuss the key tasks for the second quarter. The meeting emphasized the need to accelerate the construction of a modern water network, promote the construction and renovation of large and medium-sized irrigation areas, and further promote the standardized construction and management mode of "3+1" rural water supply. It also called for the orderly implementation of a new round of mother river rejuvenation actions, increased efforts in the comprehensive management of groundwater over-extraction and soil erosion. Furthermore, the meeting called for the accelerated construction of an integrated monitoring and perception system for the "sky, land, and water" and a "high-fidelity" digital flow field simulation mathematical model system, as well as categorized promotion of the digitization transformation of water conservancy projects. It emphasized the implementation of a rigid constraint system for water resources, accelerated promotion of policies on water conservation and efficiency improvement in agriculture, water conservation and pollution reduction in industry, and water loss reduction in urban areas. The meeting also stressed accelerating the revision of relevant water-related laws and regulations, speeding up the implementation of the "Fifteen-Year Plan" for water security and the "Fifteen-Year Plan" for related professional fields, and continuously deepening reforms in water resources investment and financing. Lastly, it highlighted the need to systematize and systematically enhance the innovation capacity of water conservancy science and technology.