BEIJING - Vice-President Xi Jinping on Sunday called for water-saving awareness in the society and innovation in water conservation across the country.

Xi attended an activity in Beijing to mark this year's National Science Popularization Day and visited an exhibition on water-saving technologies.

"The per capita availability of water resources in China is quite small, so water conservation is the principal solution to the country's water resources issue," Xi said.

Visiting the display of scientific items made or invented by young students in Beijing, Xi encouraged the country's youngsters to foster their interests in science and technology from childhood and develop their scientific research abilities.

He called on the society to pay more attention to the youth's growth and encourage them to learn more about science and technology and participate in more social activities.

Xi also visited a community in Beijing, saying that communities are basic units in building a harmonious society, strengthening social management, and enriching people's knowledge about science and culture.

The theme of this year's National Science Popularization Day is "saving energy and resources, protecting ecological environment, ensuring safety and health, and promoting innovation and creation."

More than 4,000 activities are scheduled to be held around the country to publicize the knowledge of science and technology.