Making use of its advantage, the Ministry of Water Resources carried out the "four water projects", that is, drinking water for men and livestock, water and soil conservation, water conservancy and water and electricity supply, so as to improve the living and production conditions for people in poor areas.

During the Eighth Five-Year Plan, the Ministry of Water Conservancy increased its investment in fundamental water conservancy construction in the central and western regions, with total 2.65 billion yuan in total, six times that of the previous investment. Water conservancy projects increased to about 200 from the previous 70. It also took further measures such as building reservoirs, digging wells and ponds, building water pumping stations and installing water pipes to solve some of the difficulties for 41 million people.

In 1988, the Ministry of Water Conservancy carried out activities to support the poor between Wanxian and Fuling counties in four fields: construction of water conservancy works, development of water and electricity, water and soil conservation, and drinking water for men and livestock. By 1996, 600,000 farmers had got shaken off poverty and begun to realize a degree of wealth.