Minister Li Guoying Attends a  High-Level Meeting and Delivered a Speech

From May 18 to 25, 2024, the 10th World Water Forum convened in Bali, Indonesia. With the theme “Water for Shared Prosperity”, the Forum hosted nearly 280 meetings addressing issues such as water security and prosperity, human and natural water use, disaster mitigation and management, governance cooperation and water diplomacy, sustainable water  financing, and knowledge and innovation. Approximately 50,000 representatives, including government officials, heads of international   organizations and experts, attended the Forum. Organized by the World Water   Council and the host country’s government, the World Water Forum is the   largest international event in water sector. Li Guoying, Minister of Water   Resources (MWR), led the Chinese delegation to the Forum. Being a member of the Chinese delegation, Dai Jiqun, President of Nanjing Hydraulic Research   Institute (NHRI), participated in a series of related activities as follows.

1. Signing Cooperation Agreements for Joint Development

Minister Li Guoying held a bilateral meeting with Mochamad Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing of Indonesia. During the meeting, President Dai Jiqun and Bob Arthur Lombogia, Director General of Water Resources of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing of Indonesia, signed an agreement on comprehensive water technology  cooperation, witnessed by Ministers Li Guoying and Mochamad Basuki Hadimuljono.

In the presence of Ministers Li Guoying and Mochamad Basuki Hadimuljono, Shavkat Khamraev, Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan, Loïc Fauchon, President of the World Water Council, and Zhang Zhisheng, Chinese Consul General in Denpasar, Indonesia, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on small hydropower and renewable energy cooperation was signed between National Research Institute for Rural Electrification of MWR /Hangzhou Regional Center (Asia-Pacific) for   Small Hydro Power (HRC) and the ASEAN Center for Energy at the Chinese Pavilion.

President Dai Jiqun and Xu Zhifeng, Director General of HRC held discussions with international organizations such as the International Hydropower Association and the ASEAN Center for Energy, and exchanged views and suggestions on cooperation.

In recent years, with the support from ASEAN Cooperation Project under the China-ASEAN cooperation framework, NHRI has engaged in substantial cooperation with Indonesia in dam safety management, water   resources development, small hydropower planning application, and the establishment of joint laboratories. Projects have been developed, including   the Jatigede Dam Digital Twin Project and the Kalimantan Seawater Desalination Demonstration Project, Joint Research Center for Rural Electrification Based on Hydropower, etc. HRC and the ASEAN Center for Energy   have conducted joint assessments and capacity cooperation demonstration   projects for renewable energy in ASEAN island nations, carried out joint research on sustainable hydropower development technology, and mutually sent professionals to conduct research. The signing of the cooperation agreement and MoU will further solidify the cooperation foundation, clarify the   cooperation framework and short-term plans, and promote collaboration in areas such as water infrastructure operation and management, technical  standards development and application, water informatization construction,  water ecological environment protection, renewable energy technology, and   water and energy talent cultivation, which will help to lay a solid   foundation for ensuring water security.

President Dai Jiqun and Director  General Bob Arthur Lombogia Sign a Technical Cooperation Agreement

HRC and the ASEAN Center for Energy Sign a MOU

2. Engaging in Scientific Exchanges and Sharing Water Management Experiences

Invited by MWR, President Dai Jiqun attended a high-level meeting themed“Developing Resilient Seawater Desalination and Brackish Water  Desalination Projects to Ensure Water and Food Security” at the Moroccan  Pavilion. He delivered a keynote report titled “Understanding and Practicing Seawater Desalination with New Development Concepts”, and held in-depth   discussions with Nizar Baraka, Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water Resources, Hani Sewilam, Egyptian Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation, Mario Urrea, President of the Segura River Basin Authority in Spain, and Marie Matthews, Senior Chief Technical Advisor for Water at UNDP, on the   development concepts, technologies, benefits and future impacts of seawater desalination.

President Dai Jiqun Attends a High-level Meeting

At the 4th Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on Water Resources among China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, Wang Guoqing, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Research Center for Climate Change, MWR, delivered a special report titled “Improving the Resilience of Water Systems for Coping with Climate Change: Practices in China”.

Wang Guoqing Delivers a Special Report

For the first time, NHRI served as a lead coordinator for the topic of “Enhancing the Sustainable Resilience of Water Infrastructure to Address   Climate Change” under the sub-theme of“Disaster Risk Reduction and   Management” at the Forum. NHRI jointly organized three sessions, i.e.“T3D1:   Extreme Climate and Its Impact on Water Infrastructure”,“T3D2: Improving the  Resilience of Water Infrastructure to Climate Change”, and “T3CC1: Adapting   to Extreme Hydrological Events Induced by Climate Change for Sustainable Development”, with international counterparts, where ideas on climate change  adaptation and sustainable development of water infrastructure were  extensively promoted and exchanged with participants.

Session T3D1: Extreme Climate and Its Impact on Water Infrastructure

Session T3D2: Improving the Resilience of Water Infrastructure to Climate Change

3.  Compiling Popular Science Books to Publicize Scientific Knowledge

Reservoirs and dams, as a key component of public safety, are crucial water infrastructure and fundamental to national strategic   implementation. NHRI organized the compilation of the bilingual   Chinese-English book “Hello, Dam”, which was grandly released at the thematic   picture book launch event “Water for Shared Prosperity”. The event was   witnessed by Li Guoying, Mochamad Basuki Hadimuljono, Shavkat Khamraev, Loïc   Fauchon and Zhang Zhisheng.

The book comprehensively introduces the overview of dams,   achievements, international cooperation, dam classification and construction   of typical dams at home and abroad, and the role of reservoirs and dams in   supporting sustainable socio-economic development. Written in accessible   language, the picture book showcases scientific knowledge, development   achievements, and practical experiences related to reservoirs and dams to the   public, which can improve the awareness and protection of dam safety, enhance   risk awareness, and contribute to the sustainable management and utilization   of water resources.

Launch Event of “Water for Shared   Prosperity” Thematic Picture Book

4. Launching  Youth Initiative and Building a Platform for Cooperation and Innovation

Youth represent the future of scientific and technological  innovation. It is a common aspiration of all countries to promote scientific and cultural exchanges and encourage innovation cooperation for youth. As the   lead institution, NHRI, in collaboration with HRC, the Youth Committee of the Chinese National Committee for the International Association of Hydrological   Sciences, the World Youth Parliament for Water, the Water Youth Network, and   the South African Youth Parliament for Water, jointly launched the “International Scientific and Technical Innovation Cooperation Initiative for   Water Youth”during the Forum. Dozens of representatives from countries including China, Indonesia, India, France, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Ghana,   and Brazil participated in the launch event.

In recent years, leveraging international platforms such as   the International Joint Research Center for Water Science and Water   Engineering, NHRI has actively engaged in international exchanges and cooperation with young scholars worldwide. It has actively promoted academic exchanges, established platforms for young scientists to exchange ideas in   water science and technology, conducted joint research, encouraged youth participation in innovative water management concepts, technical methods and   technological products, organized science competitions to promote water   science and enhance water literacy, and conducted foreign aid trainings to cultivate young water science and technology talents. This Initiative will  further encourage young talents from various countries to conduct scientific   research and technological innovation in the water sector, enhance mutual understanding and support, and promote harmonious coexistence between humans  and nature.

 Launch Event of the “International Scientific and Technical   Innovation Cooperation Initiative for Water Youth”

5. Showcasing   NHRI’s Research Achievements at the World Water Forum

Focusing on the theme “Water for Shared Prosperity”, NHRI showcased multiple achievements, including “Climate Change and Water  Security”, “Potential Assessment of Unconventional Water Resources   Development and Utilization”, “Research and Development of Digital Twin Water  Networks”, “Intelligent Reservoirs and Dams”, “Urban Water Environment   Management”, and “Port and Waterway Construction”. Experts and scholars from   countries, such as Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Mongolia, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Australia, the Netherlands, the United   States, and Brazil, visited NHRI exhibition booth at the Forum and conducted   in-depth exchanges with NHRI.

Kyul-Ho Kwak, Former Minister of   Environment and Chairman of the Korea Water Forum, the Republic of Korea

Ivan, Director of Department of  International Cooperation and Climate Change, Ministry of Natural Resources  and Environment of Russia

Teerachun, Deputy Director General  of Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Natural Resources and  Environment of Thailand

It is crucial to strengthen international scientific and technological exchanges and cooperation for addressing global risks, promoting   scientific innovation, and advancing cutting-edge technology. During the Forum,  NHRI’s delegation also discussed domestic and international business with such   institutions as Power Construction Corporation of China, China Water   Resources Beifang Investigation, Design and Research Co. Ltd., Changjiang Water   Resources Commission of MWR, Yellow River Water Resources Commission of MWR, Dayu Irrigation Group Co. Ltd., China Institute of Water Resources and   Hydropower Research, China Water&Power Press, and Water Resources   Department of Jiangxi Province. Confronted with uncertainties and risk   challenges posed by a changing environment, NHRI will collaborate with   international peers to address challenges in water resources, water ecology,   water environment and water disasters, ensure the safety of water   infrastructure, enhance the resilience of water infrastructure, contribute to   the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals related to water, and   jointly write a new chapter in water management for the building of a  community with a shared future for mankind.