Tobacco-industry water projects will help protect against natural disasters

China’s State Tobacco Monopoly Administration has issued a plan for water resources projects to be carried out by the tobacco industry during 2013-2015, according to a Tobacco China Online story.

The plan seeks to increase significantly the number of such projects and to help establish the tobacco industry’s image as a responsible industry.

The projects will be undertaken in key tobacco-growing regions nationwide, with investment expected to reach Yuan15 billion by 2015.

They will comprise mainly the construction of small reservoirs and irrigation systems that will gradually be amalgamated to form comprehensive systems.

One of the aims of the projects is to help tobacco growers to increase their incomes.

But they are aimed also at helping localities to guard against the dangers of natural disasters.