Big turnout for world water congress in Beijing

Almost 1,300 people, nearly half of them from overseas, will participate in the upcoming 18th World Water Congress in Beijing from Sep 11 to 15, according to the Ministry of Water Resources.

As one of the world's largest congresses linking water policymakers, researchers and policy practitioners, the congress has been held by the International Water Resources Association every three years since 1973. It is the first time that the congress is being held in China.

The event this year will be co-organized by the ministry.

"The congress has won widespread attention from around the world," said Liu Weiping, vice-minister of water resources, at a news conference on Wednesday.

About 600 delegates from foreign government bodies, research institutes, universities and water-related international organizations are expected to attend the event, he said. The conference will also be participated by almost 700 attendees from water resources authorities, companies, research institutes and universities across China.

The event is themed Water for All: Harmony between Humans and Nature, and a series of activities will be held under six sub-themes, including Building Resilience for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation and Innovation for Water Governance and Management, he said.

All the sub-themes focus on common concerns of the international communities about water-relation issues, he noted.

A Beijing declaration is expected to be issued at the conference, which will include consensus reached in the gathering and initiatives based on China's experiences in water governance, he said.

"With the congress as an opportunity, China is willing to share its philosophy, achievement and experiences on water resources management with people from across the world," the vice-minister said.