Country's water governance proposals at UN event widely praised

Experts at home and abroad have lauded the four proposals presented by China during a recent United Nations event, saying that these have not only responded to the common concern of different nations but are also feasible, as they are based on China's own successful practices.

They made the remarks following an address made by Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying at the 2023 UN Water Conference, which was held in New York from Wednesday through Friday.

With 6 percent of the world's freshwater resources, China has provided water for nearly one-fifth of the global population and accounted for over 18 percent of the world's total economic output, Li said.

The minister made four proposals on global water governance at the UN conference.

"First, everyone has the basic right to safe drinking water," he said.

Given that freshwater resources are limited with no substitute, economical and intensive use of these resources is a common obligation and responsibility of each and every resident of the global village, Li said in his second proposal.

His third proposal was to "respect the right of rivers in nature, regard rivers as life forms, construct river ethics, maintain the healthy life of rivers and realize the harmonious coexistence of people and rivers."

Fourth, it is necessary to fully utilize UN agencies and provide a platform for communication and collaboration among governments, international organizations, think tanks, social organizations and other stakeholders to participate in the global response to climate change according to their respective strengths.

Wang Jianhua, vice-president of the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, said the proposals have responded to the common concern of different nations around the globe.

The UN World Water Development Report 2023 shows that 26 percent of the world's population, or 2 billion people, don't have access to safe drinking water, Wang said, underscoring the need to provide support and assistance to guarantee everyone's basic right to safe drinking water.

The proposals are based on instructive practices and experiences of China in implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, he said.

China has made remarkable achievements with regard to Sustainable Development Goal 6, which is to ensure water and sanitation access for all, Wang said, adding that this was in stark contrast with the world's tardy progress in achieving the goal. "At the current rate, (global) progress toward all SDG 6 targets is off track," the UN report noted.

Jiang Enhui, deputy head of the Yellow River Institute of Hydraulic Research, said the four proposals have not only incorporated China's wisdom to effectively cope with the global water crisis but have also showed the country's water governance philosophy in the new era, which features harmony between people and nature.

Yao Shiming, vice-president of the Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, said that aside from sharing China's ideas, wisdom and experiences on water governance with the world, the proposals show the way forward for water resource management in China.

Diani Carlos, head of the international cooperation division of Portugal's Ministry of Environment and Climate Action, said there is "sometimes a sense worldwide that we cannot comply with SDGs because of financing issues, or because we do not have technical resources, or because we lack appropriate infrastructure, but really we have a water governance problem".

"This is a challenge for all countries in the world — at national level, at local level and even at a more global scale," she said, calling Li's message very inspiring.