CMEC helps bring liquid asset to thirsty Yunnan

A Naxi ethnic woman washes clothing in a public pool filled by glacier water in Lijiang, northern Yunnan province. CHINA DAILY

Mother's Water Cellar eases thirst of remote villages amid long drought

Zimukou, a village in southern Yunnan province, is considered by many to be among China's most beautiful sites. Yet the rainforest is a thirsty place, and its 400 families have long had to trek as far as 10 km a day to fetch water from a neighboring village.

But their struggles may soon end because of a water resource project.

Li Ping, a 48 year-old farmer in the village who supports a blind husband, said her life changed after a proper cellar that stores rainwater was provided in her village.

"I don't have to rely on the same rudimentary well that we shared with other villages. It saves me lots of time that I use for other activities," said Li.

The charity program known as Mother's Water Cellar is being carried out by the All-China Women's Federation and the China Women's Development Foundation.

In November, China Machinery Engineering Corp donated 500,000 yuan ($80,000) to the charity campaign.

Last year, the campaign raised 3 million yuan to build facilities that deliver clean drinking water to more than 2,400 residents in the mountainous counties of Jinping and Malipo.

State-owned CMEC, a contractor with projects in many countries in Africa and Europe, has also helped provide solar-powered emergency lights for the charity.

As drought lingers in places such as Yunnan and Gansu provinces, small water projects such as water cellars have become more common. The smallest of these are sufficient to meet the needs of one household.

The large well-built water cellar in Zimukou, which can hold 18 metric tons of water, can meet the needs of the entire village, but only for a day or two. Still, it has already done much to ease shortages.

At present, the government must often ship tanks of water to schools, hospitals and impoverished families.

It also sends water to replenish cellars that are running dry.

In many cases, villagers have to use cars to fetch water to fill their cellars. Some pay as much as 400 yuan to hire a car for that purpose.

Launched in 2000, the Mother's Water Cellar drive has helped almost 1.3 million people across the country gain access to drinking water, and more than 100,000 water cellars and 1,200 water supply facilities have been built in 23 provinces, according the two Chinese organizations that are running the charity program.

The company released its first corporate social responsibility report last month, but charity is not entirely new to CMEC.

The Hong Kong-listed company is exploring ways to help those in need around the world.

It is helping build schools and hospitals in Africa, for example, and making donations to orphanages.