China still faces huge challenges in controlling floods and
securing water supplies despite setting up a nationwide network to
minimize disasters, said Water Resources Minister Wang Shucheng on
Saturday.
Wang made the remarks at the ministerial-level meeting of the Third
World Water Forum in Kyoto in west Japan.
He
urged developed countries to give economic and technical aid to
developing nations to address water-related problems.
Wang said that since water was fundamental to life, social
production and the environment, water conservation should become
part of poverty relief, economic development and environmental
protection measures.
Wang listed China's major challenges in water conservancy as
frequent floods, severe water shortages, extensive soil erosion and
water pollution.
He
said the sustainable use of water resources would help the country
build a well-off xiaokang society in an all-round way.
The ministry recently developed a water conservation blueprint to
the year 2010 to give China's population of 1.3 billion access to
clean, drinkable water, to guarantee water supply, and to improve
the environment.
The World Water Council, the main organizer of the forum in Japan,
has issued a discussion paper, stating everybody needs to take
responsibility for securing safe water supplies.
During the eight-day event, more than 10,000 people from about 180
countries discussed various water-related issues at nearly 350
sessions divided into roughly 40 themes, such as water and poverty,
and water and peace.
Based on the forum discussions and a two-day ministerial meeting
over the weekend, a final version of the World Water Council's
"World Water Action" report will be released in June, forum
officials said.
(China Daily March 24, 2003)