Themed "Water for Peace", World Water Day arrived as scheduled and kicked off on March 22, marking the commencement of China Water Week that ran until March 28.  

World Water Day 2024 emphasizes the importance of multinational collaboration across sectors to address water-related challenges and promote societal well-being. Simultaneously, China Water Week calls for effective and careful administration of water resources, aiming to propel the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In this context, the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR) has initiated a series of feature articles to highlight China's achievements in hydraulic engineering and its contribution to sustainable water management on a global scale.

The theme "Water for Peace" aligns with the crucial need for every household and society as a whole to have access to clean drinking water.

According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023, as of 2022, 2.2 billion individuals continued to live without safely managed drinking water services, and an additional 93 million people have fallen into extreme poverty.

Lack of clean water contributes to poverty in many regions, where inadequate infrastructure forces people to use contaminated water sources that harm their health, hinder their income, and hamper them from poverty alleviation, thus posing a threat to regional peace and stability.

WHO stated that improving water quality and providing people with access to clean drinking water can help propel socio-economic development eradicate poverty and promote world peace.

The Chinese government has always prioritized the safety of drinking water, and incorporated the rural water supply into national development plans as a critical component.

During the implementation of the 13th Five-Year Plan, China witnessed the elimination of water stress, a longstanding issue in rural areas. Through the B&R initiative and Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), the IWHR initiated the Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation projects, providing rural water supply technologies and management expertise to impoverished populations in Mekong countries. The efforts have played a crucial role in promoting social development and stability in these regions.

The projects focused on providing technological support for water supply in the Lancang-Mekong region. A slew of demonstration projects aimed at advancing water resources technology were implemented in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar and were well-received by the local communities.

Up to 2023, the Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation projects provided clean drinking water to approximately 10,000 local rural residents. Additionally, China and Laos have established ties in water resources management.

The population in the Lancang-Mekong region has a lower rate of access to safe drinking water services compared to the world average. Having clean drinking water is the earnest expectation of residents in Lancang-Mekong countries.

According to the findings of the project's research, all surveyed villagers expressed their hope to improve the quality of their drinking water. They firmly believe that implementing water supply projects or installing water purifiers can substantially enhance their financial situation through an increase in working hours and reduce the medical expenditure caused by waterborne diseases.

The second phase of the Lancang-Mekong water resources cooperation projects has been approved and come into force, with the IWHR continuing to take the lead.

The second phase is aimed at completing over 60 demonstration projects under the support of the local governments of the Lancang-Mekong countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.

Source: Wechat offical account of the IWHR, Voice of CAST 

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