China is a vast country, and the imbalance of water resources between the north and the south has always plagued the first and scholars. In order to solve this problem, it took 20 years to spend hundreds of billions to buildSouth-to-North Water DiversionAlthough the project has achieved certain results, it still fails to solve the problem fundamentally. However, in 2016, an article on water diversion attracted widespread attention in the academic community, because this water diversion was not achieved through the ground, but through the sky. The project, known as the "Tianhe Project," has attracted worldwide attention, partly because of its high cost, and partly because it could become a feat in the history of Chinese engineering. So what exactly is the Tianhe Project? What kind of benefits does it bring to China? How difficult is it? Let's take a closer look at this remarkable project.
China's vast territory, the difference in latitude between the north and the south, and the distance from the sea have led to extremely uneven rainfall and river runoff across the country, and the water imbalance between the north and the south has reached a worrying level. For example, the southern onesYangtze RiverWith a total volume of more than 930 billion cubic meters, it ranks first among the country's rivers and accounts for more than 30% of the country's total rivers. The Yellow River, on the other hand, has only 50 billion cubic meters of waterYangtze RiverIt seems insignificant in comparison. The rivers in the south are as thick as tree stumps, while those in the north are as thin as cow's hair. The southern part of the country accounts for about 81% of the country's water resources, and the per capita water volume is 16 times as much, while the per capita water volume in the North is only a quarter of that in the South. This north-south imbalance has led to water scarcity in the north, which is unable to meet people's needs.
To solve this problem, China ** proposed it in 1952South-to-North Water DiversionAfter decades of hard work,South-to-North Water DiversionThe project was completed in 2020. The project cost a total of 500 billionRMBThe scale of water diversion reached 44.8 billion cubic meters, and the beneficiary population reached 43.8 billion people. South-to-North Water DiversionThe project alleviates the water shortage in the north by diverting the abundant water resources from the south to the north through a diversion tunnel. However,South-to-North Water DiversionThe project still cannot completely solve the problem of water resources in the north.
In order to further alleviate the problem of water imbalance between the north and the southTsinghua UniversitywithQinghai UniversityIn 2016, the joint research team released a project called "Water Diversion", which put forward the idea of the Tianhe project. The Tianhe Project is to rationally allocate and utilize water vapor resources in specific areas through manual intervention to alleviate water resources in the north and south.
The idea of the Tianhe project is to divert water from the sky, not from the ground. It uses artificial means to transport water vapor from areas with abundant rainfall to the sky above designated water shortage locations through aerial water vapor transport channels, and then lowers the water through artificial rainfall. The project is considered a miracle in the history of Chinese engineering, and the total cost is expected to reach 250 billionRMB
However, the realization of the Tianhe project is very difficult. First of all, it is difficult to grasp the transportation law and stability of water vapor channels. The water vapor channels are known as atmospheric rivers and atmospheric rivers and are highly concentratedWater vaporInAtmospherein the form of flow. This high concentrationWater vaporThe laws of motion are complex and affected by the atmospheric environmentTopographyand other factors, and it is very difficult to control this law of movement.
Secondly, the technical difficulty of artificial rainfall is also very high. At present, artificial rainfall is mainly usedCloudsgenerators and rockets planted with skin clouds and other methods. However, the effectiveness of these methods is not perfect, and the stability and accuracy of rainfall cannot be guaranteed. At the same time, artificial rainfall may also lead to a series of environmental problems, such as disturbing the natural rainfall process and increasing air pollution.
In addition, the Tianhe projectEconomyCost is also a huge challenge. According to estimates, the total of the Tianhe projectInvestmentswill reach 250 billionRMB, thanSouth-to-North Water DiversionMore than five times as much as the project. This massiveInvestmentsThe amount needs ** and the support of all aspects of society, tooEconomyAffordability.
Despite the enormous challenges associated with the Tianhe project, it also has significant potential benefits. First of all, the Tianhe project can achieve a balance of water resources between the north and the south, solve the problem of abundant water resources in the south and water shortage in the north, and improve the water supply capacity and quality of life in the northern region.
Second, the Tianhe project can improve the efficiency of water resource utilization. At present, due to the imbalance of water resources between the north and the south, the water resource use efficiency in the southern region is low, while the water resource use efficiency in the northern region is high. The Tianhe project can bring in more water resources from the southern region, improve the water resource utilization efficiency of the northern region, and reduce the waste of water resources.
In addition, the Tianhe project can also promote the regionalEconomyDevelop. The imbalance between the North and the South is not just a matter of water supply, but alsoRegional economic developmentUnbalanced performance. By achieving a balance of water resources between the north and the south**, the Tianhe project can promote the northern regionAgriculture, industrial and ecological construction and other fields to enhance the comprehensive competitiveness of the region.
As an eye-catching engineering idea, the Tianhe project provides a new way to solve the problem of water imbalance between the north and south of China. Although the Tianhe project faces great difficulties and challenges, it also has huge potential benefits. By achieving a balance of water resources between the north and the south, the Tianhe project can solve the problem of water shortage in the northern region, improve the efficiency of water resource utilization, and promote the regionEconomyDevelop. However, the implementation of the Tianhe project still needs to overcome many technologiesEconomyand environmental issues, which require support and cooperation from all aspects of society. Only with the joint efforts of all parties can the Tianhe project become a great feat in the history of Chinese engineering.