The Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21 recently organized an overall performance evaluation meeting in Nanjing for the project of Key Technologies of Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Synergy Security Guarantee under a key special project of the National Key R&D Program, Efficient Development and Utilization of Water Resources, led by NHRI. Leaders from the Department of International Cooperation, Science and Technology, Ministry of Water Resources, China and the National Key Project Management Office of NHRI attended the meeting. NHRI President CHEN Shengshui made a speech at the meeting. The meeting saw the attendance of more than 40 people, including project leader, subject leaders and technical backbones from HoHai University, Energy Research Institute under National Development and Reform Commission, China, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, and Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd.
After the report on the project implementation by project leader Prof. WANG Huimin, and reviews, inquiries and discussions of relevant documents, the expert panel unanimously agreed that the fundamental theories and technological development of the project were of outstanding originality, with a high degree of forward-looking, strategic and systematic research innovation. The technologies developed by the project have been applied in typical regions with good effects, extensive social influence and expected goals of the project achieved, making a positive contribution to the objectives of the key special project of Efficient Development and Utilization of Water Resources. The panel agreed that the project passed the overall performance evaluation.
Over the last 4 years, the technical demands of the national WEF synergy security guarantee have been focused by the project. From the perspectives of theoretical approaches, key technologies and strategic support, a series of technology researches have been conducted, such as interaction coupling mechanism and simulation method of WEF resources, synergy security assessment and trend prediction, competition and coordination - efficient utilization - whole process control of water resources for food security, water resources regional allocation - water right transfer- combination of water saving and utilization for energy development, synergy guarantee technology of water resources cascade regulation - allocation among main streams and tributaries - adjustment between irrigation and drainage for sustainable hydropower utilization. A strategic framework has been established for the national WEF synergy security guarantee, and software tools of WEF synergy security assessment developed with independent intellectual property rights.
The project findings have been successfully applied in the Songnen Plain, Erods City and the Yalongjiang River Basin. Water saving of 50-100m3/mu has been realized in major food producing regions, with an effective utilization coefficient of irrigation water increased from 0.47 to 0.51. An implementation scheme of water saving of 4.1 billion m3 has been provided for China Northwest Energy Base with remarkable economic, social, ecological and environmental benefits. The comprehensive utilization rate of water energy of the Yalongjiang River may be increased by 4.68%, and power generation income increased by RMB675 million per year. Meanwhile, 18 reports have been submitted to National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources, National Energy Administration and relevant provincial governments for administrative references. The research findings have provided strong support for the decision-making of national development strategy and sector strategy with extensive social influence.
