BALI,
Indonesia, May 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report
from chinadaily.com.cn:
An English-language publication highlighting President Xi
Jinping's insights into water governance has been well received by
international experts, who noted its potential in offering
solutions to countries grappling with a water crisis exacerbated by
climate change.
The experts shared their observations during the eight-day 10th
World Water Forum, which concluded on Saturday in Bali, Indonesia. The event featured the launch
on Tuesday of the book Water Governance in China: Perspectives of Xi Jinping.
One of the key parts of the book is an innovative philosophy on
water governance that Xi proposed in 2014.
It focuses on "prioritizing water conservation, balancing
spatial distribution, adopting systematic approaches and leveraging
the roles of both government and market".
The president stressed that water governance includes multiple
aspects, such as development and utilization, regulation and
allocation, and conservation and protection.
The key focus at present, in terms of mindset, awareness and
action, is water conservation, and "we must prioritize water
conservation to orchestrate a coordinated approach to water
governance throughout the entire cycle", according to the book.
Li Guoying, minister of water resources, says in the book's
foreword that Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist
Party of China Central Committee, proposed the philosophy from the
strategic perspective of achieving sustainable development for the
Chinese nation.
The president has also provided insights into a series of
significant theoretical and practical issues, including why water
issues should be addressed in the new era, and what should be done
and how to do it, forming a body of new concepts, ideas and
strategies for water governance, Li said.
"Guided by his water governance principles, China has achieved historic successes and
undergone transformative changes and improvements in water
governance," the minister said, highlighting the country's capacity
"to prevent floods and droughts, save, optimally allocate, and make
efficient use of water resources, and protect and manage river and
lake ecosystems".
With only 6 percent of the world's freshwater resources,
China has managed to ensure food
and water security for nearly 20 percent of the global population,
and has contributed more than 18 percent of the world's economic
output, Li noted.
Highlighting the book as the first systematic introduction to
China's water governance
principles and technologies, Li Lifeng, director of the Land and
Water Division at the United Nations' Food and Agriculture
Organization, said he believes it will contribute to the future
water management practices of countries around the world.
With a series of methods and concepts ranging from water
conservation and storage to flood management, China has an array of practices that can be
shared with other nations, he said.
Philippe Gourbesville, president of the International
Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research, said
the book "is presenting a strategy for China for addressing the main issues that are
coming in the next decades, especially achieving water
security".
Nebiyou Kassahun, from the China
Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, who is a
doctoral student majoring in hydrology and water resources, said,
"The book gives a detailed description of philosophical aspects of
water conservancy all over China,
and I think that it is a good idea to share this with the rest of
the world."
"I also appreciate the fact that General Secretary Xi Jinping is
able to emphasize these things, because it is actually a really
current global issue, a global problem right now," he added.
Pedro Liberato, former
director-general of the department of international relations of
Portugal's Ministry of Environment
and Climate Action, lauded China's
timely mindset on water governance.
China's experiences in water
resources management hold significant global relevance,
particularly as the nation is adapting its water governance
strategies to address evolving challenges posed by climate change,
he said.
"China has the experience that
is very important to have at this moment," Liberato said, adding
that the nation recognizes "that some of the good solutions 10
years ago are not the best ones anymore because of the extreme
events".
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SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn