China made solid progress in water infrastructure construction in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, with more newly launched major projects, steady growth in investment and a record high social capital input, the Ministry of Water Resources announced at a press conference on Friday.

From January to March, 15 major water conservancy projects broke ground – seven more than in the same period last year, with a total investment of 147.5 billion yuan (about $21.49 billion).

During this period, the country completed 207 billion yuan in water conservancy investment, a year-on-year increase of 4.1%. A total of 24,231 water projects were under construction, creating 670,000 jobs.

Major progress in water infrastructure construction can be seen in China's southwestern Sichuan Province, one of the few provinces traversed by both the Yangtze and Yellow rivers. 

The Qingyukou reservoir in Tongjiang County, Bazhong City, has entered the second phase of construction in Q1 of 2026.

The concrete pouring and the installation of the metal structure of the dam's left bank are expected to be completed later this year, with some electromechanical equipment put in place, said Zhang Ming, a Party branch secretary of China Railway 11th Bureau Group in charge of the project construction, according to Sichuan Online, a local news outlet.

Primarily designed for flood control, the Qingyukou reservoir will also bolster local water supply and power generation. It controls a drainage area of ​​1,807 square kilometers and has a total storage capacity of 141 million cubic meters, elevating the flood defense standards of Tongjiang County to a 20-year return period.

The reservoir's power generators are expected to have a total installed capacity of 20 megawatts, enough to power nearly 50,000 Chinese households annually. 

While public funding for water infrastructure construction remains robust, social capital input into water conservancy has also reached a record high in Q1 of 2026. A total of 43.4 billion yuan of social capital has entered the sector in this period, up 16.4% year-on-year, supported by policies to attract social capital through equity investment and franchising.

Fiscal support was also strengthened. So far, 82.9 billion yuan of central water conservancy investment for 2026 has been allocated, faster than the same period last year. Local government special bonds for water projects reached 48.8 billion yuan in the first quarter of this year, a year-on-year surge of 69.1%.

In 2026, the ministry plans to advance the modernization of irrigation areas by accelerating key projects, including the renovation of Dujiangyan in Sichuan. At the same time, it will coordinate the development of backbone irrigation projects and high-standard farmland, aiming to improve the irrigation and drainage system from water sources to farmland.

(With inputs from Xinhua)