ZHANG Jianyun, CAE Member, YICODE President, NHRI Honorary President and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Forum, delivered an opening speech

CHEN Shengshui, NHRI President, delivered a welcoming speech

Video Session at NHRI

From April 22 to 24, 2021, the 3rd International Forum on Water Security and Sustainability, sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), Chinese Hydraulic Engineering Society and Jiangsu Development and Reform Commission, and organized by Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development (YICODE), Hohai University, Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute (NHRI) and other organizations, was held in Nanjing. XU Hui, President of Hohai University and Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Forum, served as the host at the opening ceremony. ZHANG Jianyun, CAE Member, YICODE President, NHRI Honorary President and Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Forum, delivered an opening speech. NHRI President CHEN Shengshui delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of the organizers and co-organizers. This event was held in both online and offline channels, attracting more than 1,000 representatives from relevant watershed institutions, research institutes, universities or colleges, enterprises, the World Meteorological Organization and other international organizations from over 10 countries, including China, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Switzerland. Besides the main venue, two video sessions were established at Hohai University and NHRI. Live broadcasting was conducted and relayed simultaneously by the Xinhua News Agency and other media.

In his opening speech, ZHANG Jianyun pointed out the importance of current global water issues and necessity to discuss water security and sustainable development of water resources management. The rapidly growing global population increased the rigid demand for resources, exceeding the earth system’s carrying capacity, and fundamentally challenging human knowledge reserve and management system. How to manage water resources and improve water security is of great strategic significance. The successful convention of the previous two forums attracted the attention of experts, scholars and water industry insiders worldwide. The series forum has become a high-level academic platform with global influence. ZHANG hoped this year’s forum would continue to build an open, candid, effective and interdisciplinary platform for exchanging thoughts and ideas as always.

NHRI President CHEN Shengshui said that we were facing severe intertwined water security issues, both old and new. To promote academic exchanges, national water security and sustainable development, two such forums had been held. The previous two forums saw in-depth discussions on the strategic needs of national water security and the frontier issues of international water science. CHEN believed this year’s forum would definitely further the progress of water science and provide strong scientific and technological services and support for national water security and sustainable development in China.

This three-day event with a main forum and sub-forums focused on 4 themes of Integrated River Basin Management, Climate Change and Risks, Aquatic Ecology and Water Engineering, and Water Resource Protection and Development.

NHRI Vice President LI Yun presided over the Sub-forum of Integrated River Basin Management and participated in the discussion at the Sub-forum of Aquatic Ecology and Water Engineering as an invited expert. NHRI Vice President WU Shiqiang joined the technical exchanges at the Sub-forum of Water Resource Protection and Development as an invited expert. LU Yongjun, Deputy Chief Engineer of NHRI, hosted the Special Session of Yangtze River Conservation and Green Development. The sub-forums saw several presentations delivered by professors from NHRI, including Global River Runoff Change Induced by Human Activities and Climate Change by Prof. WANG Guoqing, Some New Findings of Eco-environmental Effects of River Damming by Prof. CHEN Qiuwen, and Studies of the Eco-hydraulics of the Taihu Lake: Instruments and Techniques by Prof. XU Shikai. The former two professors also hosted the Sub-forums of Climate Change and Risks, and Aquatic Ecology and Water Engineering, respectively.

During the Forum, many renowned experts made presentations, including LEI Mingshan, CTG Chairman, JIAO Yong, member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, former Vice Minister of Water Resources and Chairman of YICODE Academic Committee, WANG Annan, MWR Chief Planner, ZHONG Zhiyu, Chief Engineer of Changjiang Water Resources Commission, MWR, DING Yihui, CAE Member and professor of National Climate Center, China, LI Xingwei, Fellow of British Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE) and President of Macau University of Science and Technology, China, Roger Falconer, RAE Fellow and YICODE professor, Enda O'Connell, RAE Fellow and professor of Newcastle University, UK, Steven Gorelick, Fellow of the US National Academy of Engineering and professor of Stanford University, MA Hongqi, CAE Member and Senior Adviser of Huaneng Lancang River Hydropower Inc., NIU Xinqiang, CAE Member and President of Changjiang Institute of Survey, Planning, Design and Research, MIAO Changwen, CAE Member and professor of Southeast University, China, KANG Shaozhong, CAE Member and professor of China Agricultural University, HU Chunhong, CAE Member and professor of China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, and John Smol, Fellow of the British Royal Society and professor of Queen's University, Canada.

On the afternoon of April 24, the forum participants visited NHRI Tiexinqiao Water Experiment Center and Hohai University.