Finding ways to keep the water flowing

Workers assemble a floating photovoltaic power generation facility at a reservoir in Liaocheng, Shandong province, in December. [Zhang Zhenxiang/For China Daily]

What kind of exchange and collaboration has the Ministry of Water Resources had with UN agencies in terms of water resources management?

The ministry has been collaborating with UN agencies for a long time. Since joining the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation, it has played an active role in promoting the establishment of a separate water goal in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Through an agreement with UNESCO, the ministry established the International Research and Training Center on Erosion and Sedimentation in China. It has also signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to promote the drafting of international standards for small hydropower. I will give two examples in detail.

First, China has been an active participant in UNESCO's International Hydrological Program for a long time. It established the Chinese National Committee for the IHP in 1979, and has been an active partner and important contributor to the program. Over the years, within the program's framework, both parties have cooperated on hydrological research, water education and training, and cultural exchange. A Chinese expert currently serves as chair of the IHP's Intergovernmental Council.

Second, China, UNIDO and the UNDP created the International Network on Small Hydro Power. It now has 480 members from 80 countries and regions and has three regional centers in Asia, Africa and South America. The network has rolled out international cooperation on rural energy development, environmental protection and poverty relief. The Lighting up Africa with Small Hydro Power project has been recognized by the UN and welcomed by recipient countries.

Looking to the future, we will push forward the Belt and Road Initiative and the Global Development Initiative through multilateral UN platforms, and work with countries and regions worldwide to tackle increasingly severe water challenges.