Beijing Declaration passes as 18th World Water Congress ends

The Beijing Declaration was passed on Friday as the 18th World Water Congress concluded in Beijing, with President Xi Jinping's water governance strategy inscribed into the document.

Hosted by the International Water Resources Association and China's Ministry of Water Resources, the congress lasted from Monday to Friday, with the theme of "Water for All: Harmony between Humans and Nature".

"Since we live on the same planet and face common water problems and challenges, we need to exchange ideas and experiences on water governance," the declaration notes.

As the host country of the congress, China has adopted innovative approaches of water governance - "prioritizing water conservation, balancing water distribution in time and space, and taking a systematic approach to water management with the synergy of government and market", it says.

The water governance approaches were put forwarded by President Xi in March 2014 in a meeting of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economic Affairs.

The declaration says China is sharing with the rest of the world its experience in guaranteeing the right to safe drinking water for all, improving water security capabilities, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

"These achievements have been made under conditions of overall water shortages, extremely uneven spatiotemporal distribution of water resources, frequent occurrence of floods and droughts.

"This approach demonstrates the spirit of mutual understanding and cooperation proposed by the 2023 United Nations Water Conference," it states.