MWR China - UNESCO - Africa Water Side Event

On World Water Day on March 22, 2022, the Ministry of Water Resources of China-UNESCO-African Water Resources Side Conference will be held in the UNESCO Pavilion of the 9th World Water Forum Water Exhibition in Dakar, Senegal in a combination of online and offline ways It was successfully held. Abu Amani, Director of the Bureau of Water Sciences of UNESCO, presided over the opening ceremony. Li Guoying, Minister of Water Resources of China, and Sharmila Nair-Bedouel, Assistant Director-General of UNESCO, attended and delivered speeches. Prof. Zhongbo Yu, chairman of the Hydrology Program, professor of Hohai University, and director of the State Key Laboratory of Hydrology, Water Resources and Hydraulic Engineering Sciences, attended the meeting online.

Minister Li Guoying pointed out that the Ministry of Water Resources of China and UNESCO have carried out extensive cooperation in the fields of high-end forums, scientific and technological plan promotion, scientific research cooperation, and personnel training. In recent years, by signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation and establishing a fixed exchange mechanism, we have continued to deepen bilateral water conservancy cooperation with many African countries, and have achieved fruitful results in integrated water resources management, comprehensive river basin planning, green development of small hydropower, and survey of water conservancy and hydropower projects. cooperation results. Minister Li proposed to take the opportunity of trilateral water cooperation between China, UNESCO and Africa, focus on key areas, innovate cooperation models, strengthen water resources cooperation, improve water resources security capabilities in Africa, and accelerate the realization of the water-related goals of the sustainable development agenda for Africa Make a positive contribution.

Prof. Zhongbo Yu focused on the vision of the cooperation framework between the Ministry of Water Resources and UNESCO and the immediate action plan to support Africa's water resources capacity building and cooperation. Under the framework of the ninth phase of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program (2022-2029), UNESCO will give priority to strengthening the human resources and institutions of African member states to deal with water resource challenges in terms of scientific research and innovation, water education, integrated water resources management, and scientific water governance. Skill building. China will vigorously support African member states in terms of facilitating multi-party cooperation, exchanges and experience sharing on water issues, promoting water-related science and technology training for young experts, strengthening the training of international students, establishing the "Belt and Road" science and technology fund, and organizing international water-related activities.

The Ministry of Water Resources of China-UNESCO-Africa Water Resources Side Event is an important high-level event held during the 9th World Water Forum. Liu Zhiguang, Director-General of the Department of International Cooperation and Science and Technology of the Ministry of Water Resources of China, Director of the Department of Hydrology of the Ministry of Water Resources of China, Lin Zuoding, Chairman of the Chinese National Committee for the Intergovernmental Hydrological Program of UNESCO, and other heads of relevant departments, bureaus and units, China's permanent ambassador to UNESCO Shen Xuesong, minister-counselor of the organizing delegation, and representatives of the secretariat of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO attended the meeting.