Economic situation of Heyuan area of Shen Dong water supply project

Heyuan city is located in the middle and upper reaches of Dongjiang River. 87% of the urban area belongs to Dongjiang River Basin, with a total length of about 254 kilometers, accounting for more than 45% of the total length of Dongjiang River. The water quality of Dongjiang River in this section is closely related to the water safety along and downstream of Dongjiang River Basin, affecting more than 20 million residents in Dongguan, Huizhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Heyuan city has the responsibility to protect clean water sources, so the city is restricted in industry, tourism and forestry, which limits the economic development of Heyuan city to some extent.

In February, 2006, six deputies of Heyuan Municipal People's Congress submitted a proposal to the Fourth Session of the Tenth Guangdong Provincial People's Congress on including the pipeline water conveyance project from Xinfengjiang Reservoir in Heyuan City to Dongguan, Shenzhen and Hong Kong as the key construction project in the 11th Five-Year Plan of Guangdong Province. The proposal mentions the development of Xinfengjiang Reservoir in Heyuan City, directly supplying water to Dongguan, Shenzhen and Hong Kong, making full use of the water resources in Heyuan City and promoting the economic development of Heyuan. The representative of Heyuan City also pointed out that the residents near Xinfengjiang Reservoir have paid great sacrifices and costs for Dongjiang water resources. Since the completion of the reservoir, more than 200,000 people still live below the poverty line. Therefore, they very much hope that the local economy will improve as soon as possible.

Out of gratitude for local people's protection of water sources and immigration motives, Beijing has implemented preferential policies such as counterpart economic support and extra points in the college entrance examination.

According to the report of Outlook Oriental Weekly 20 1 1, the cost of Dongjiang water in Hong Kong this year is about 4.32 yuan per cubic meter, which is several times the price of Dongjiang water supplied to Dongguan in 0.5 yuan and 0.96 yuan higher than that supplied to Shenzhen.