A resident paddles along the Xin'an River in Shexian county, East China's Anhui province, March 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING -- China has built a comprehensive automated groundwater monitoring system that features wide coverage of groundwater types, complete monitoring parameters and advanced technology, the Ministry of Water Resources said on Monday.

Groundwater is an indispensable source of water for economic and social development and a strategic resource crucial for maintaining a healthy ecological environment.

From 2015 to 2020, China established over 20,000 national-level groundwater monitoring stations, creating a network with real-time monitoring and early-warning capabilities to curb groundwater over-extraction, the ministry said.

Thanks to sustained and comprehensive management, strict controls on groundwater extraction and protection measures, groundwater levels in northern China had generally rebounded by the end of 2025 compared with the 2020 levels.

In the areas under management, shallow groundwater levels rose by an average of 3.76 meters, and deep groundwater levels increased by an average of 7.65 meters, the ministry said.