Honorable ministers, colleagues,
Ladies and gentlemen, friends:
I am delighted to gather with you in Beijing in golden autumn for the 18th World Water Congress. At a time when the world is facing increasingly severe challenges from water hazards, water resources, the water ecology and the water environment, it is of great significance for us to focus on the theme of “Water for All – Harmony between Humans and Nature” to share ideas on water governance, discuss good strategies for water governance, seek cooperation and development, and join hands to contribute solutions to global water governance. This is a bridge between the past and the future. On behalf of the Ministry of Water Resources of the People’s Republic of China, I would like to extend a warm welcome to all the distinguished guests from all countries present here, and express my heartfelt thanks to all the friends who have long cared for and supported the development of China’s water sector!
Water is essential for survival and the source of civilization. Since ancient times, the basic water situation in China has been flood in summer and drought in winter, shortage in the north and abundance in the south. The spatial and temporal distribution of water resources in China is extremely uneven, while flood and drought disasters occur frequently and repeatedly. Therefore, development of water projects and elimination of water hazards have always been a major issue critical to the long-term peace and stability of the country. Standing at the strategic height of achieving sustainable development of the Chinese nation, President Xi Jinping pioneered the water-governance concept of “prioritizing water conservation, seeking spatial equilibrium, implementing systematic governance and achieving government-market synergy”. This concept comes from his accurate understanding of our national situation and water regime, in-depth summary of China’s historical experience, scientific judgement of the Chinese water governance situation, and profound grasp of natural, economic and social laws. It scientifically answers major theoretical and practical questions such as how to properly handle the relationship between incremental and existing development and utilization of water resources, the relationship between water resources and socioeconomic development, the relationship between the elements of water governance, and the relationship between the government and the market in water governance. As such, this concept provides the fundamental guidelines for coordinating prevention and control of water hazards, conservation of water resources, protection and restoration of the water ecology, and management of the water environment. It has guided China to make historic achievements and changes in water governance and resolved many persistent unaddressed headaches in water governance. China has made significant progress in implementing the water-related goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
-- By prioritizing water conservation, China has profoundly changed the way it uses water resources. China has a large population but limited water resources. Its per capita water resources is only 2,000 m3, about 35% of the world average. In the Yellow River basin, the Hai River basin and the inland river basins in Northwest China in particular, water shortage has become the most acute problem. Looking forward, with economic and social development demanding for more water resources, China’s modernization drive will face the severe challenge of water shortage.
As President Xi Jinping pointed out, it is imperative for us to adhere to and implement the water-saving-first approach that prioritizes water conservation from all aspects including perception, awareness and practical measures; and vigorously promote water conservation in agriculture, industry and urban areas. Accordingly, we have implemented a comprehensive conservation strategy, effectively executed the National Action Plan for Water Conservation, established and improved water-saving systems and policies, vigorously promoted water conservation in the whole society, and upgraded water use efficiency and effectiveness in an all-round way. From 2013 to 2022, China’s GDP grew by 69.7%, while its total water use was largely stabilized under 610 billion m3; water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP and 10,000 yuan of industrial added value decreased by 42.8% and 58.2%, respectively; and effective farmland irrigation water use coefficient went up from 0.523 to 0.572.
Many cities, counties and districts in China are building water-saving societies. In 2022, Beijing’s water consumption per 10,000 yuan of GDP went down to 9.6 m3, and that for 10,000 yuan of industrial added value to 4.8 m3, with renewable water and harvested rainwater and other unconventional sources of water accounting for 30% of its total water supply. In Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province, the effective irrigation water use coefficient reached 0.9, a result of its comprehensive agricultural water price reform. China has transformed its pattern of water use from extensive and inefficient to intensive and efficient. With 6% of the world’s freshwater resources, China has secured water for nearly 20% of the world’s population and generated more than 18% of the world’s economic aggregates.
-- Through persistent efforts to achieve spatial equilibrium, China has optimized its overall pattern of water allocation. The spatial distribution of China’s water resources is extremely uneven. North China accounts for 46% of the national population, 63% of the national arable land and 39% of the national GDP, but only 18% of the national water resources and 40% of the national average per capita water resources. Such distribution of water resources does not match that of population, arable land and other resources or the economic layout.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that it is imperative to establish the principle of balancing population, economy, resources and the environment; use the carrying capacity of water resources, the water ecology and the water environment as rigid restraints; and speed up the construction of a national water network, coordinate existing and incremental quantities, and strengthen connectivity and interoperability. As such, we decide on urban planning, land use, population size and production scale in line with available water resources, strictly observe the ceiling on the development and utilization of water resources, exercise dual quantity-intensity control over water use, plan for and carry out wise use of water, and manage water resources strictly and carefully. On this basis, and for the purpose of balanced allocation of water resources in entire river basins in particular and in space in general, we have implemented 129 major inter-basin and cross-regional water diversion/transfer projects, effectively balancing the distribution of water resources and the productivity layouts in different regions. The South-to-North Water Transfer Project is a typical example in this regard. As of now, the first phase of the Eastern and Middle routes of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project has delivered 65.4 billion m3 of water, benefiting 176 million people. The water supply capacity of China’s water works has increased from 700 billion m3 in 2012 to nearly 900 billion m3 in 2022. China has completed 6.78 million rural water supply projects, supplying water to 870 million rural residents, and achieving an 87% tap water prevalence rate in rural areas. In addition, China has built 7,326 large and medium-sized irrigation areas. The 1.055 billion mu irrigated land accounts for 55% of national arable land, and produces 77% of grain and more than 90% of cash crops of the whole country, providing a strong support for grain harvest in China.
At present, we are speeding up the construction of a national water network that is “systematic and complete, safe and reliable, intensive and efficient, green and intelligent, and with smooth circulation and orderly regulation”. On the one hand, we are pushing forward the construction of the main framework and the arteries to form the “backbone” of the national water network. On the other hand, we are improving the layout of regional water network projects and intensively weaving the “eyes” of the national water network. In addition, we are making greater efforts to explore the potential feasibility and subsequent construction of key water regulation and storage projects, tie the “knot” of the national water network, and thereby enhance our capability for coordinated allocation of water resources, secure water supply and sound strategic reserve.
-- Thanks to systematic governance, rivers and lakes in China have enjoyed a fundamental improvement in appearance. China has a large number of rivers and lakes, with 45,203 rivers extending a drainage area of more than 50 km2 each, and 2,865 lakes recording an annual water surface area of more than 1 km2 each. Water is natural. Therefore, ecological elements such as mountains, water, forests, farmland, lakes, grass and sand in a basin are closely interconnected and interdependent with the upper and lower streams, the left and right banks, and the trunk and tributaries. Together, they form a community of life in the basin.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that we need make good use of systematic thinking to coordinate the entire process of water governance; promote integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, water, forests, farmland, lakes, grass and sand; and proceed from the integrity of the ecosystem and the systematic nature of a basin to trace the root causes and carry out systematic treatment. Accordingly, we have made basin-specific efforts to systematically train rivers and lakes by means of more unified planning, governance, operation and management of the basins. As a result, we have improved the basin-wide system of flood control works that mainly consists of reservoirs, river courses, embankments and flood storage and detention areas. Specifically, we have built 98,000 reservoirs of various types, 430,000 km river embankments, and 98 national flood storage and detention areas. Through joint scheduling and operation of water projects in a scientific and precise manner, we successfully overcame a series of severe floods and droughts. China’s average annual losses caused by flooding and logging as a percentage to its national GDP dropped from 0.55% in the previous decade to 0.27% between 2013 and 2022. In 2022, the usually water-abundant middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were hit by the most severe and prolonged meteorological and hydrological drought since 1961. We coordinated and precisely deployed 75 large and medium-sized reservoirs along the Yangtze River basin, ensuring drinking water safety for the public in general and meeting the irrigation water demand of 183 million mu autumn grain crops. Between 2021 and 2022, the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River suffered the worst autumn flood since 1949 and the Bei River in the Pearl River basin the worst flood since 1915. We coordinated and precisely scheduled the operation of 8,498 large and medium-sized reservoirs to intercept the floods and 12 national flood storage and detention areas to store flood water, preventing the inundation of 3,143 cities/towns and reducing inundated arable land by 40.64 million mu. During late July and early August this year, the Hai River basin was hit by the worst regional catastrophic flood since 1963. Our precise and coordinated scheduling and operation of 84 large and medium-sized reservoirs in the Hai River basin in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region intercepted 2.85 billion m3 of flood water, while the initiation of 8 national flood detention areas stored 2.53 billion m3 of flood water. All these efforts minimized disaster-related losses.
Through integrated protection and systematic management of mountains, water, forests, farmland, lakes, grass and sand, we have also restored the ecological environment of rivers and lakes. Water flows through the entire route of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal for the first time in a century, reviving the magnificent canal’s thousand-year-old charm. A large number of rivers including the Yongding River that had dried off for many years now have water running throughout their channels. Baiyangdian, the previous dry pearl of North China, has stabilized its water surface area at more than 250 km2 in recent years. With the downward trend in curb, the groundwater levels in North China have recorded an overall rise. From 2013 to 2022, 602,000 km2 of soil erosion has been brought under control nationwide, with both the area and intensity of soil erosion in reduction. Now, more and more rivers in China have resumed their vitality, while a growing number of basins are coming back to life.
-- Through government-market synergy, China has systematically improved its water governance. Water is a public good that plays a strategic, fundamental and leading role in economic and social development. To safeguard water security, we need give full play to the roles of both the government and the market, distinguish between what the government should do and what can be done via market mechanisms, and properly handle the relationship between the “visible hand” and the “invisible hand”.
President Xi Jinping pointed out that the primary responsibility of water governance lies with the government; and that the “two hands” (government role and market mechanisms) should be synergized. As such, we insist that the two hands should work in tandem. On the one hand, we carry out government functions in full such as making strategies, plans, standards, and policies, fulfilling regulatory roles and providing services, in order to properly and effectively manage whatever falls within government jurisdiction. At the same time, we make full use of the market mechanisms and give full play to the adjusting role of the market in terms of conserving, allocating and utilizing water resources. With such efforts, we strive to develop a pattern in which the roles of the market and the government are seamlessly integrated and mutually reinforcing. In addition, the system of river chiefs and lake chiefs is in full swing. With 1.2 million river chiefs and lake chiefs performing their duties nationwide, each river has someone in charge and every lake is protected. In addition, China has promulgated and implemented two major basin-specific laws, namely, the Yangtze River Protection Law and the Yellow River Protection Law, as well as administrative rules and regulations such as the Regulations on Groundwater Management. As a plus, we have established the mechanism for connecting water-related administrative law enforcement with criminal justice, and that for coordinating water-related administrative law enforcement with pro bono procurator litigation. To carry out top-level design for water governance, the Chinese government has issued a number of important plans, including the Program of Action for the Construction of the National Water Network and the 14th Five-Year Plan for Safeguarding Water Security. In addition, we have accelerated the development of digital twin basins, digital twin water networks and digital twin projects, and built the “three lines of defense” for rainwater monitoring and forecasting that consist of meteorological satellites, rain-measuring radars, and rain-measuring and hydrological stations. Water governance and water management in China are growingly digitalized and networked with better artificial intelligence.
At the same time, we have vigorously promoted the reform of market mechanisms for water governance, made innovations in water finance and investment mechanisms, and introduced a series of policies to provide better financing options and attract private capital. In 2022, annual water investment in China stood at 1,089.3 billion yuan, a new high since the founding of the People’s Republic of China; efforts were made to accelerate the establishment of a market-oriented water pricing mechanism, promote market-based trading of water rights, and set up the China Water Rights Exchange, with total water trading volume registering 3.75 billion m3; while explorations for mechanisms to realize the value of water ecological products were underway, and ecological compensation mechanisms for inter-provincial sections were implemented in some basins.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Development is an eternal theme of human society. It bears people’s aspiration for a better life. Development needs to be planned from the perspective of harmony between humans and nature. At present, we are in an era full of challenges. Due to climate change and the increasing impact of human activities, the world is faced with frequent water hazards, water shortage, damage to the water ecology, pollution of the water environment and other water security problems. More than 2 billion people still live in countries with acute water stress. The progress of water-related goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is lagging behind. Addressing water security risks and challenges plays an even greater role in accelerating the realization of the global Sustainable Development Goals. At the same time, we also live in an era of great hope. Countries and the public in general have developed a growing understanding of a community with a shared future for humankind, and a stronger desire to boost exchanges and cooperation on global water governance, and jointly follow the path of intensive resource-efficient development that features robust water security, efficient water use, marked improvement of the water ecology and effective management of the water environment. All countries are actively exploring water governance concepts and plans that are of good reference value.
President Xi Jinping’s water-governance concept of “prioritizing water conservation, seeking spatial equilibrium, implementing systematic governance and achieving government-market synergy” fits well with the task of realizing the water-related goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It has also stood the test of China’s water governance practice. Given the current water security risks and challenges confronting humankind and based on China’s practice and experience in water governance, we would like to prioritize water conservation and advocate for spatial equilibrium, systematic governance and government-market synergy, so as to address the common challenges of global water governance and realize the beautiful vision of harmony between humans and nature.
First, prioritize water conservation. The freshwater resources available for human utilization on planet Earth are very limited, accounting for only 3% of the total water resources. According to the State of Global Water Resources released by the World Meteorological Organization, 3.6 billion people in the world do not have adequate water supply for at least one month each year, and this number is expected to rise to more than 5 billion people by 2050. Thus, it is imperative for us to fully recognize the limited and irreplaceable nature of freshwater resources, jointly fulfill the obligations and responsibilities of making sustainable use of freshwater resources, and actively promote and achieve water conservation and higher water use efficiency in agriculture, water conservation and emission reduction in industry, and water conservation and loss reduction in urban areas. These efforts will comprehensively enhance both the capability for and the extent of making efficient and intensive use of water resources.
Second, reach spatial equilibrium. We need be fully aware that the carrying capacity of water resources, the water ecology and the water environment is limited. Therefore, we must strive to match water resources with the layout of socioeconomic development, and achieve a balance between population, economy, resources and the environment. On the one hand, we should ensure that urban planning, land use, population size and production scale are defined on the basis of available water resources, optimize the spatial layout of development according to the carrying capacity of water resources, make sure that water resources are used where they are most needed, and accelerate the comprehensive green transformation of our development pattern and lifestyle. On the other hand, to meet the demands of high-quality economic and social development, we need scientifically plan and construct the system for optimal inter-basin and cross-regional allocation of water resources, and make efforts to meet people’s ever-growing needs for a better life, on the basis of balanced allocation of water resources in entire river basins in particular and in space in general, and in accordance with the principle of “real need, ecological security and sustainability”.
Third, practice systematic governance. As water ecological degradation intensifies globally, only about 60% of the world’s water bodies have “good” water quality. There is the need for us to fully recognize that rivers and lakes are fundamentally and characteristically basin specific. Water is closely linked to and interacts with mountains, forests, farmland, lakes, grass and sand, and other ecological elements, therefore requiring systematic governance and a holistic coordinative approach. We will proceed from the integrity of the ecosystem and the systematic nature of a basin to promote integrated protection and restoration of mountains, water, forests, farmland, lakes, grass and sand. In particular, we will respect the basic right of rivers to survive in nature, regard rivers as living organisms, develop river ethics, safeguard the healthy life of rivers, and achieve harmony between humans and rivers.
Fourth, achieve government-market synergy. We need fully recognize that the primary responsibility of water governance lies with the government, and at the same time make good use of market mechanisms. As such, we will leverage the respective advantages of governments, international organizations, civil society and economic entities, and open up a path of development that features win-win cooperation, joint construction and shared benefits. We will promote scientific, technological and institutional innovation, and pool wisdom and strength in our response to issues related to water hazards, water resources, the water environment and the water ecology.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
“People with shared aspirations are never separated by mountains and the sea.” China has embarked on a Chinese-style path of modernization and will surely make greater contribution to the progress of humanity. The Ministry of Water Resources of China will resolutely implement President Xi Jinping’s water governance concept of “prioritizing water conservation, seeking spatial equilibrium, implementing systematic governance and achieving government-market synergy”. Our ministry will also join hands with our counterpart water authorities in all countries, water-related international organizations, and water research institutions to push forward the reform and development of global water governance, promote harmony between humans and nature, and write a new chapter in water governance to facilitate the building of a community with a shared future for humankind.
Thank you very much.