Hainan taps digital intelligence to empower water network construction

CGTN

Updated: 2026-10-04

China's southern island province of Hainan is characterized by scattered water systems and an uneven distribution of water resources. Developing a water network is therefore essential for both regional development and the well-being of local communities. In recent years, the province has been advancing a modern, island-style water management project, extending its reach from smart irrigation platforms to campus drainage pump stations.

The Hushan irrigation district is in Wenchang. It irrigates grain crops, tropical fruits, and vegetables in the area. Its canals were once scattered, leading to inefficient irrigation water use. Today, an automated control system is transforming traditional irrigation and improving the district's planning efficiency by 18 percent.

Zhang Qiang, project manager of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau, said, "The canal construction section of the project totals 33.4 kilometers and covers an irrigation area of about 3,467 hectares. Now, just one person operating the system from the control room can basically handle all the work."

The heart of the irrigation district management platform is precision. Unlike traditional irrigation that relies on manual experience, the automated control system can automatically determine water distribution plans for each diversion outlet, enabling on-demand supply and accurate measurement. This offers a replicable and scalable model for digitally upgrading large tropical irrigation districts in Hainan.

"The system divides the irrigation district into 50 digital farm plots. Each plot has its own water use record, and water use efficiency has increased by about 40 percent," Zhang added.

Urban drainage and flood control are key priorities in Hainan's smart water network development. The ongoing drainage, flood control, and pipeline network improvement project at Hainan University's Haidian campus repairs defective pipelines and addresses campus flooding during typhoon season.

He Kun, project manager of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau, said, "Our pumps are installed at two lakes. By strengthening the storage and regulation capacity of campus lakes, ditches, and other water systems, we increase drainage throughput."

As one of the Chinese provinces most frequently and severely affected by tropical cyclones, Hainan is gradually establishing a rainfall and hydrological monitoring and forecasting system to strengthen technical support for flood control.

Zhao Guanghui, division director of Department of Water Resources of Hainan province, said, "The province has built 3,050 rainfall monitoring stations, all connected to the Hainan Smart Water Network Platform, enabling real-time aggregation and sharing of monitoring data."

In recent years, real-time hydraulic models of urban water supply systems have increasingly shifted from experience-based scheduling to data-driven decision-making.

Chai Changyun, manager of operations management department at Haikou Kaiyuan Water, said, "We have recently built a total of 237 remote monitoring stations. Through long-term data collection, we have developed a big-data analysis system that enables more precise pipeline network dispatch."

In July 2026, Hainan unveiled its water security plan for the 15th Five-Year period (2026-30), aiming to create a modern water network framework by 2030. Currently, Hainan has 1,098 reservoirs and over 20,000 km of pipelines for water supply and drainage, forming a fairly comprehensive water infrastructure system.

Fu Yunwei, director of planning and science and technology division at Water Resources of Hainan province, said, "A modern water network emphasizes orderly regulation and control. At its core, it uses smart technologies to achieve precise dispatch and optimal allocation of water resources. Through these measures, we can precisely meet the water needs of all sectors."

By applying technologies such as digital twins and intelligent dispatch to water resource allocation, flood control and drainage, and urban and rural water supply, Hainan is harnessing its smart water network to underpin high-quality development.