Finding ways to keep the water flowing

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative. What landmark water resource management projects has China rolled out in signatory countries? What plans are there for the future?

China is not just the founder of the Belt and Road Initiative, but is also a responsible partner. In recent years, cooperation with BRI signatories has made remarkable contributions to socioeconomic development in participating countries.

The first is that China has helped guarantee livelihoods in BRI countries. In many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, China has provided technical consultation for the comprehensive planning of water resources, river basins and flood control. Also, a number of water resource management projects have been implemented to help address insufficient water supplies and agricultural development, and to strengthen the ability to prevent flooding and mitigate droughts. The Lancang-Mekong Sweet Spring Project, for example, has addressed the difficulties of some 7,000 people in Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar in getting safe drinking water.

The second is that China has injected new impetus into the economic development of BRI countries. Chinese planning and design companies have participated in the construction of a number of multifunctional water resource management and hydropower projects. These have not only helped guarantee power supply, but have also promoted industrial upgrading and created many jobs.

Thanks to the Chinese-built Coca Codo Sinclair hydroelectric project, Ecuador no longer depends on imported energy. The project also created 15,000 jobs.

In Guinea, the Chinese-built Kaleta Hydropower Station has greatly relieved power shortages in the capital, Conakry, and surrounding areas, benefiting 4 million people.

Third, China has created a new channel for BRI countries to train water resource management specialists. We have carried out technical training for countries with relatively weak water resource management capabilities.

At present, nearly 4,000 technicians and government officials from 112 countries have been provided with online and on-site training in English, French, Russian and Spanish. We have set up five overseas technology transfer and capacity building centers in Pakistan, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Serbia and Senegal.

By focusing on building what we call "small but beautiful" projects, the ministry continues to promote the implementation of projects that change lives, such as those related to irrigation, flood control and water supply. It will also endeavor to strengthen the role of Chinese companies in offering design services overseas and promote international capacity cooperation. More efforts will also be made to provide more training in BRI countries to help them strengthen their water resource management capacity.

Gu Yehua contributed to this story.