Source：National Research Institute for Rural Electrification, MWR
Entrusted by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Water Sources, P.R. China, organized by National Research Institute for Rural Electrification (NRIRE) of the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministerial Workshop on Water Resources Management and Development Planning for BRI Countries was held successfully in Hangzhou during October 18-24, 2019. 17 ministers, state ministers, senior officials and experts from Cape Verde, D.R. Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Grenada, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and Zambia took part in the one-week workshop.
Mr. Li Ge, Deputy Director General, Department of International Cooperation, Science and Technology, Ministry of Water Resources of China, was present at the opening ceremony and delivered the speeches. Mr. Li Ge pointed out in his speech that, China is characterized by a large population and less water, and water resources are unevenly distributed in time and space, while water resources do not match the economic and social development. In the context of new concept, new requirement and new task of water conservancy, Chinese government adheres to the basic policy of conserving the resources and protecting the environment, and proposes that the construction of ecological civilization is the fundamental plan for sustainable development. It is highly expected to share management methods, policies and practices in the field of water resources in China with the high-level officials from the BRI countries, and exchange relevant experiences and achievements among the participating countries, thus to jointly improve the development, utilization and management of water resources.
Mr. Winston Garraway, Minister of Climate Resilience, the Environment, Forestry, Fisheries, Disaster Management and Information of Grenada, delivered a speech on behalf of all the participants from the BRI countries. The minister quoted the conclusion from The Dublin Conference (International Conference on Water and Environment) held on Jan 31, 1992 that, "Water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognized as an economic good…. It is vital to recognize first the basic right of all human beings to have access to clean water and sanitation at an affordable price".
The one-week workshop focused on the topics concerning water resource management and development planning with rich programs, inclusive of the presentation titled "Water Resources Management in the Context of Climate Change" delivered by Mr. Zhang Jianyun, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering, the attendance in the opening ceremony of 2019 CHES Annual Conference, the visits to the world-famous Three Gorges Project and the local university as well as the culture experience in China Water Museum, etc. The success of the workshop has strengthened the communication between China and other BRI countries in the field of water resources management and development planning and laid a solid foundation for future cooperation.
