Construction on the Huangmaoxia reservoir project officially began on Tuesday in Yingde city, Guangdong province. It is part of the efforts to improve the flood control system in the middle and lower reaches of the Beijiang River, one of the tributaries of the Pearl River.

The gigantic water conservancy project costs more than 13.5 billion yuan ($1.89 billion).

The structure will help reduce flood control pressure on cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, including Guangzhou, Foshan, and Qingyuan.

The cities in the middle and lower reaches of the Beijiang River are usually hit by floods in summer, triggered by storms.

Wang Weizhong, governor of Guangdong province, explained at the groundbreaking ceremony that the project will help enhance regional disaster prevention and reduction and the flood control and resistance capabilities of the Beijiang River Basin.

"Meanwhile, it will effectively increase the supply of clean energy, significantly improve the water transportation and logistics conditions of the Beijiang and Lianjiang rivers, and provide abundant irrigation sources for the development of modern agriculture," said Wang.

Chen Min, vice-minister of water resources, said the Huangmaoxia reservoir project is a specific measure taken by Guangdong province to improve the flood control engineering system of the basin and strengthen the ability to ensure water security in the region.

The Huangmaoxia reservoir will have a storage capacity of 562 million cubic meters and a flood control capacity of more than 547 million cubic meters. In addition to flood control, it will assist with shipping and comprehensive utilization, including irrigation and power generation.

The project is expected to generate 155 million kilowatt-hours of green electricity annually, allow the navigation of 500-ton vessels to extend further up the Lianjiang River, and provide a water source for 80 square kilometers around Yingde.