China will promote the development of new, quality productive forces across its water conservancy sector, with a focus on expanding the use of advanced technologies and equipment.
It is to improve the operation and management of reservoirs, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Thursday.
Zhang Wenjie, an official with the ministry, said China would build an all-weather intelligent monitoring system covering sky, space, land, water, and engineering domains.
The system will integrate technologies such as satellite remote sensing, ground-penetrating radar, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned vessels, and underwater robots to strengthen the detection of hidden risks and support intelligent patrol operations.
Zhang cited a recent example of technology application in the sector, during the 2025 autumn flood season on the Hanjiang River.
The safety status of the Danjiangkou Reservoir in central China’s Hubei Province was monitored in real time under high water levels using the Global Navigation Satellite System and surveying robots.
The technology enabled more precise and science-based reservoir operation and regulation, he said.
According to Wang Bao’en, deputy head of the ministry, China is also accelerating the development of safe, ecological, and smart dams.
He said the ministry would step up research and development as well as the deployment of new technologies and equipment, and select a group of representative dams with solid foundations to launch pilot projects.
The efforts aimed to raise the level of modern reservoir management to a higher standard, Wang said.
