FILE: Hebei Province, north China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Aerial shot of river
2. Aerial shots of field irrigating machine working
3. Water sample collector
4. Various of river

Beijing, China - March 21, 2022 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Du Bingzhao, deputy director, Department of Water Resources Management, Ministry of Water Resources (starting with shot 4/ending with shots 6-7):
"Nearly 60 percent of the plain areas in north China have overexploited the groundwater, with water deficit reaching 180 billion [cubic meters], triggering ecological and environmental problems such as watercourse cutoff and lake and wetland shrink. By increasing water supply through multiple channels, especially water from the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the Yellow River, and surplus water from local reservoirs before flood, we replenish groundwater from rivers and lakes."

FILE: Hebei Province, north China - Exact Location and Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. Aerial shots of river

FILE: Nyingchi Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China - Jan 24, 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of residents fetching water from underground

FILE: Wu'an County, Handan City, Hebei Province, north China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of factory, facility
9. Various of workers catching water
10. Various of staff members talking
11. Water

Beijing, China - March 21, 2022 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Du Bingzhao, deputy director, Department of Water Resources Management, Ministry of Water Resources:
"We will strive to establish the groundwater management indicator system covering the main plain areas of China by the end of 2023. By strengthening the dynamic supervision of the total amount of groundwater usage and the water level, and improving the monitoring and early warning of groundwater development and utilization, we will gradually achieve the balance of the exploitation and replenishment of groundwater in overexploited areas."
FILE: Tibet Autonomous Region, southwest China - Jan 24, 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Aerial shots of reservoir

FILE: Heilongjiang Province, northeast China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
14. Aerial shot of river

The overexploitation of groundwater has been eased in China in recent years amid the country's arduous efforts to reduce exploitation and increase water replenishment, said the Ministry of Water Resources.

In 2020, the country exploited 89.25 billion cubic meters of groundwater, down 24.2 billion cubic meters from 2012, data from the ministry showed.

In the long run, the annual exploitation and utilization of groundwater in China topped nearly 100 billion cubic meters, accounting for about one sixth of the total water consumption.

A total of 21 provinces, cities and regions in China have seen overexploitation of groundwater, among which the North China plain is the most serious.

"Nearly 60 percent of the plain areas in north China have overexploited the groundwater, with water deficit reaching 180 billion [cubic meters], triggering ecological and environmental problems such as watercourse cutoff and lake and wetland shrink. By increasing water supply through multiple channels, especially water from the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, the Yellow River, and surplus water from local reservoirs before flood, we replenish groundwater from rivers and lakes," said Du Bingzhao, deputy director of the Department of Water Resources Management at the Ministry of Water Resources.

At the end of 2021, the overall level of shallow groundwater in the controlled area of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region rose 1.89 meters from the same period of 2018, while that of deep confined water climbed 4.65 meters on average.

Nearly 8 billion cubic meters of groundwater had been replenished by rivers and lakes as of 2021, said the ministry, adding that it will focus on 11 key regions across the country and further strengthen the control of groundwater overexploitation.

"We will strive to establish the groundwater management indicator system covering the main plain areas of China by the end of 2023. By strengthening the dynamic supervision of the total amount of groundwater usage and the water level, and improving the monitoring and early warning of groundwater development and utilization, we will gradually achieve the balance of the exploitation and replenishment of groundwater in overexploited areas," said Du.