BEIJING -- China will divert water from the Yellow River to more regions this year to boost ecological protection, the Yellow River Conservancy Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources said Wednesday.

Water diversion projects will focus on emergency water supplies for major wetlands and lakes along the river, as well as ecological restoration in northern Chinese regions with groundwater shortages, according to a plan released by the commission.

Such projects aim to sustain all the ecosystems in the Yellow River basin, including mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, farmland and grassland, the commission said, adding that they will also provide ecology-oriented support for major national strategies, such as the development of the Xiong'an New Area.

The commission urged related authorities to strengthen water condition forecasting and analysis, and called for targeted use of key reservoirs to ensure the projects progress smoothly.