"The Yellow River lacks water resources and the water supply obtained from the river at present is beyond its capacity," said Chen Xiaojiang, director of the Yellow River Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources.
Statistics show that nearly 160 million tonnes of sand is washed into the Yellow River each year.
Records have shown that the Yellow River dried up frequently between the 1970s and 1990s. In 1997, statistics from a hydrological station indicated that a 704-km section of river had dried up for 226 days.
The government, experts and other relevant organizations have taken action since 1999 to prolong the life of the river.
"The key to bringing the river under control is to control its water and sand," said Chen.
The development, protection and management of the Yellow River will have strategic significance for the promotion of China's sustainable development and environmental protection efforts, Chen added.
Because of excessive exploitation and a rapidly growing population in the past, the river has been plagued by droughts, water and soil erosion disasters in its middle and upper reaches, as well as sediment, floods and a rising riverbed caused by heavy silt in its lower reaches.
So far, four water reservoirs have been built on the main stream of the river.
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