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China continues to impress with its ambitious projects, now developing an artificial river that could become the most expensive project in the world.
China's ambitious water diversion project, which stands as the world's most expensive construction project, aims to mitigate water shortages in the country's arid, industrialized northern region. The monumental initiative aims to redirect around 44,8 billion cubic meters of potable water annually to the densely populated areas of the north, significantly promoting the socioeconomic development of this region. Without a doubt, one of the most ambitious projects in construction industry this decade!
New most expensive artificial river in the world will be ready by 2050
The massive artificial river undertaking involves interconnecting China's major rivers along the East Central and West routes, defying engineering limits and facing environmental and logistical concerns.
The Eastern route starts at yangtze river passing through the Yangtze River, through the Kedia Passage reaching the city of Tianjin, in the north, through waterways and pipelines. The Central route starts from the Danube River, flowing through rivers and waterways towards Beijing in the north, passing through several provinces including Enan and Hubei. The Western route connects the Yangtze River to northwestern China, passing through areas such as Qinghai and Xinjiang, bringing water to drought-prone regions.
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The expectation is that the most expensive construction in the world is completed by 2050, providing peace of mind for millions of people and transforming China's landscape. The history of the artificial river project dates back to the Chinese government's bold response to growing water scarcity in the north of the country with rapid industrialization, population growth and agricultural demands.
The region was going through a Severe water crisis threatening drinking water supplies and socioeconomic development. The most expensive construction in the world, which began almost 50 years ago, involved extensive planning, research and construction.
Construction of the Artificial River required 70 thousand workers
The construction of the South and North water transfer project in China was largely financed by the Chinese government. This is a large infrastructure project included in the national development plan, therefore financing comes mainly from the Central government budget.
The world's most expensive construction involved more than 70.000 Chinese workers using more than 200.000 tons of concrete and steel. Facing geographical challenges, such as crossing the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers, underground tunnels were built to overcome natural barriers.
The project follows a complex schedule covering phases such as feasibility, planning, environmental licensing, land acquisition, excavation, infrastructure construction and route completion. Comparing the Chinese artificial river project with the transposition of the São Francisco River in Brazil, both aim to solve problems related to water availability in their specific regions. However, there are significant differences in scale, schedule, expenses and strategies adopted.
Most expensive construction in the world has already spent 79 billion dollars
The Chinese project is the most expensive construction in the world with an estimated budget of US$62 billion, more than double the cost of the Three Gorges dam, while the Brazilian project has an initial budget of around R$10 billion. By 2014 more than $79 billion had been spent, making it one of the most ambitious and expensive engineering projects in human history.
The impacts of the Chinese project encompass positive and negative aspects, as water diversion benefits areas in the north, alleviating water scarcity and boosting economic development, but there are environmental consequences such as the loss of habitats and the forced resettlement of local communities.
The future of the artificial river project will face transformations and challenges with an expansion planned to meet growing water demands in northern China. In conclusion, the main benefit of this project is to meet the water needs of the northern region, which tends to suffer from water scarcity especially in large cities such as Beijing and Tianjin, this supports economic growth and community well-being.
