According to the information gathered from the recent Sichuan Groundwater Development and Protection Academic Conference, thanks to the rigorous implementation of the "dual control" policy on water usage volume and efficiency in recent years, groundwater consumption in Sichuan has been gradually declining, now accounting for just about five percent of the province's total water usage (based on recent year averages), and there have been no instances of over-exploitation zones for groundwater within the province.

Sichuan, an important water source area in the upper reaches of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, boasts an annual total of 256.5 billion cubic meters of water resources, ranking second in the country. Its annual average groundwater resources total 58 billion cubic meters, placing it third in China. The exploitable groundwater resources stand at 17.3 billion cubic meters, ranking seventh nationwide.

Relevant data shows that in 2014, the total water use in Sichuan Province was 23.686 billion cubic meters; by 2023, this figure had increased to 25.250 billion cubic meters. However, the supply of groundwater within this total has been gradually decreasing, from 1.730 billion cubic meters in 2014 to 0.571 billion cubic meters in 2023. This dual dynamic of increasing total water use and decreasing groundwater supply underscores Sichuan's stringent control over groundwater extraction and the ongoing improvement in its groundwater conditions.

To strengthen the development and protection of groundwater resources, Sichuan will establish provincial-level emergency source locations and reserve zones for groundwater, formulate preplans for activating these groundwater reserves, and develop corresponding emergency preplans. Meanwhile, Sichuan will additionally implement a series of measures, including delineating specific areas where groundwater exploitation is prohibited or restricted, setting boundaries for banning or limiting water withdrawal in geothermal energy development and application projects, and undertaking other related initiatives across the province.