¡¡¡¡BEIJING, Oct. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- China has invested 6.9 billion yuan (834.3 million US dollars) in the past five years to cope with the water shortage affecting over 34 million rural residents.

¡¡¡¡The China International Committee for Natural Disaster (CICND) said tens of millions of rural people in China's central and western areas have suffered from the shortage of drinking water.

¡¡¡¡The shortage has seriously hindered the improvement of their living standards and the economic development in villages.

¡¡¡¡Many water supply facilities in rural areas are far below the state standard, which intensifies the water shortage problem during droughts.

¡¡¡¡Officials with CICND said that large investments in rural waterprojects in the last five years have enabled more rural people to have sufficient drinking water. Enditem