Part 2/12:
China faces a significant challenge: it holds 20% of the world's population but only one-sixth of the planet's freshwater resources. After the foundation of the People's Republic of China, it became apparent that the arid northern regions, home to many of the nation’s major crops and industries, were suffering from a dire lack of water. In 1952, Mao Zedong recognized the issue and proposed the concept of transferring water from the water-rich south to the water-scarce north. This idea was set in motion, and in 2002, construction on the South-North Water Transfer Project commenced, with an expected completion date of 2050.