Around 100 universities in 20 Chinese provinces have joined an annual water-saving campaign called "saving a barrel of water," which kicked off at Tsinghua University in Beijing Saturday.
College students will conduct surveys on water use in urban residential communities and design tailored plans for them to save water. The most effective plan will win monetary prizes provided by the campaign's sponsors.
"The students will also go into primary schools of migrant workers' children, giving lectures on saving water," said Zhao Yixin, head of the Beijing Environment Protection Foundation, one of the campaign organizers.
He said the campaign would instill a sense of water conservation with parents and the local communities of the participating college students.
This is particularly important for China this year as the worst drought in 50 years is plaguing the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, said Zhao.
The severe drought started in April and, as of Friday, has affected 34.83 million people and about 4.23 million of them are experiencing difficulty in finding drinking water in provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei, and Hunan, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
"The nationwide drought reminds us that efficient use of water resources requires concern and actions of the entire society," Zhao said.
The campaign was initiated in 2005. By the end of 2010, more than 1.2 million people had participated in the campaign, which saved 41 tonnes of water alone in 2010.