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Preface
The year 2019 marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the decisive stage in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. It is also the first year to implement the general principle of water conservancy reform and development. In 2019， General Secretary Xi Jinping presided over the Symposium on Ecological Protection and Quality Development of the Yellow River Basin， laying out the major strategic plan for the region. In addition to the clarion call for the Yellow River to be 'a river of happiness benefiting the people'， Xi Jinping identifies a fundamental path for the River's governance and ecological protection in the New Era. Throughout 2019， under the guidance of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, we conscientiously implemented the policies and plans of the central government. Adhering to the political building as our overarching principle， we sought to fully implement the general principle of water conservancy reform and development. With great effort， we overcame difficulties and achieved remarkable results with regard to water governance， showing a positive trend in quality development.
In 2019， the focus of water conservancy work shifted to the general principle of reform and development. We adhered to General Secretary Xi Jinping's guidance on water governance in our practice，and thoroughly implemented his guidance of 'prioritizing water conservation； upholding the principle of balancing population growth， economic development， resources， and the environment；adhering to the systematic philosophy that mountains， rivers， forests，and farmlands constitute one life community； and insisting on the basic requirement of jointly promoting the development of water management by both the government and the market.'（Hereinafter 'the Guidance for Water Governance'） We put our focus on the major strategic initiatives of water conservancy transformation and upgrading， and unswervingly implement the general principle of water reform and development. In implementing this general principle， we saw profound changes in our ideological awareness，development mode， industry image and working style. The general principle gained popularity and earned high recognition. The water conservancy industry gradually moved away from an 'emphasis on construction rather than governance'， and increasingly eliminated the ineffective， long-standing practices of unwillingness， caution，and inability to manage water works. With a new image, the water conservancy industry achieved much higher recognition and greater support from other sectors of society.
In 2019， we strengthened the weak links of water works through accelerated and high-quality construction. A total of RMB 726 billion （USD 102.11 billion） was allocated last year， the highest level recorded in history. Solid progress has been made in poverty relief thanks to water governance. Currently, 1.016 million registered poor people have access to clean drinking water. Investment and aid funds in poverty relief topped RMB 100 million （USD 14.06 million），exceeding the goal of increasing per capita income in targeted counties and districts. The construction of major water projects has been accelerated. 23 major water projects were started with a total investment of RMB 1.12 trillion （USD 157.53 billion）. So far， more than 7，000 km of small and medium-sized rivers have been treated.77 large and medium-sized dangerous and hazardous reservoirs and 3，511 small reservoirs have been reinforced. Construction progress has far exceeded our expectations. We have seen accelerated water development in all respects in rural areas. We have improved and
guaranteed water supply for 54.8 million people in rural areas， solved the problem of excessive fluoride concentration in drinking water for6.15 million people, and achieved the annual targets of upgrading water-saving facilities in 150 large and medium-sized irrigation districts, 455 key medium-sized irrigation districts， and 20 large-scale irrigation and drainage pumping stations. Our efforts in water ecology restoration are paying off. In some areas of North China， the decrease in groundwater levels has halted or reversed. Zero flow has not happened in Yellow River for 20 consecutive years. The East Juyan Lake has not dried up for 15 consecutive years， and the Hutuo River has resumed its flow for the first time in 40 years. Information technology has been gradually adopted in water conservancy.
