China-Africa cooperation vital to tackle global water scarcity, expert says

The study calls for heightened attention from governments and international organizations to address water resource management issues in Africa, urging effective policies to tackle the potential future water scarcity challenges.

"China has effectively alleviated water scarcity issues in northern regions through large-scale infrastructure projects such as the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Similar interregional water transfer projects could be implemented in Africa to address uneven water distribution among regions," Liu said.

"China has made significant progress in improving agricultural irrigation efficiency. Over the past decade, by promoting water-saving irrigation technologies such as drip irrigation and sprinkler irrigation, China has increased agricultural water use efficiency by around 30 to 40 percent, which is crucial for African countries dependent on agriculture. Additionally, China has raised societal water conservation awareness through policy incentives and public education. These experiences can assist African countries in enhancing water resource utilization efficiency through technological innovation and policy adjustments to alleviate water scarcity issues," he said.

"The international community needs to engage in deep cooperation, especially by strengthening China-Africa cooperation, to effectively address water scarcity issues in Asia and Africa," he said.

Liu urged the international community to increase investments in water resource management infrastructure, particularly in the underdeveloped regions of Africa and Asia. The global community should also promote technology transfer and knowledge sharing to help introduce advanced water resource management technologies and experiences into Asia and Africa. People can use remote sensing technology to monitor water resources, conduct three-dimensional water scarcity assessments, implement stepwise ecological restoration models to revive river and lake ecosystems and deploy smart water management systems to improve the efficiency of water resource management.