---March 12, 2012 saw the opening of
the 6th World Water Forum (WWF6) in Marseille, a port
city of southern France. With "Time for Solutions"
as its theme, this forum has raised 3 strategic directions,
12 key priorities for action as well as 103 concrete targets.
In line with the principle of finding solutions for water
problems, more than 400 sessions and meetings were held
to conduct in-depth discussions on the issues, problems
and suggestions summarized and collected from previous
forums and international conferences with an aim to carry
out concrete actions in real earnest. Co-sponsored by
World Water Council (WWC), French government and the city
of Marseille, this one-week forum was attended by more
than 20,000 participants from over 170 countries and regions.
Ministerial conferences, regional days, thematic sessions,
water exhibitions and all the other discussions and exchanges
of various forms were held to make concerted efforts for
solving world water problems. Prime Minister of France
François Fillon and President of WWC Loïc
Fauchon addressed the opening ceremony. Secretary-general
of UN Ban Ki-moon gave a speech through video, in which
he called on a global action against global water crisis.
The ceremony also witnessed the awarding of the King Hassan
II Great World Water Prize to Sahara and Sahel Observatory,
a Tunis-based independent international organization.
China attended the World Water Forum
of this year for the first time as a member of WWC. An
official delegation of China headed by Mr. Chen Lei, Minister
of Water Resources of China, attended the Ministerial
Roundtable, the Meeting on Asian-Pacific Framework for
Action, the Ministerial Meeting among China, Japan and
South Korea, and MOU signing ceremony among the three
countries. An expert delegation as well as an enterprise
delegation organized by MWR attended the thematic sessions
and water exhibitions.
The NHRI delegation, headed by Prof.
Li Yun, Vice President of NHRI, which was also a part
of the expert delegation of MWR, focused its attention
on two thematic sessions, i.e. Session 1.4.3: "Social
policies for disaster risk reduction and resilience"
hosted by Global Green Growth Institute of South Korea,
and Session 1.4.5: "Reducing disaster-induced economic
losses" by US Army Corps of Engineers. Two experts
from NHRI delivered their speeches at these two sessions,
introducing success cases and social policies of China
in flood/draught risk reduction, early-warning and monitoring.
China exhibition section was set up with the largest scale
in WWF. NHRI also exhibited its research findings and
achievements during the water exhibitions so as to enhance
its global influence.
HRC Director Ms. Cheng Xialei delivered
a speech at Session 1.4.3: "Social policies for disaster
risk reduction and resilience" and took part in the
spot discussion as an invited guest and answered questions.
HRC exhibited its scientific research achievements in
NHRI exhibition booth. (2012-03-23)
Mr. Chen Lei, Minister of Water Resources,
inspecting the exhibition booth of NHRI
NHRI delegation at the forum
Ms. Cheng Xialei delivering a speech at
the thematic session
Discussion at the thematic session
