The International Water Culture Seminar focuses on the culture of great river basins.

Xinhua News Agency, Bali, Indonesia, May 21st (Reporter Sun Lei) - The "2024 Dialogue on Great River Civilizations - International Water Culture Seminar" was held on the 21st during the 10th World Water Forum on Bali Island, Indonesia. With the theme of "Inclusive Culture of Sustainable Great River Basins: Co-creation and Sharing," experts from multiple countries discussed the opportunities and challenges faced by river culture, ecology, and the economy, and jointly explored the sustainable development and inclusiveness of culture in great river basins.

This seminar is part of the 2024 Nanjing Yangtze River Culture International Communication Event.

In his speech, Shaze Han, Director of the UNESCO East Asia Multisectoral Regional Office, said that since last year, the Nanjing Yangtze River Culture Forum has had a positive impact globally, showing excellent examples of water culture conservation, and people must work together to improve global water resources management.

Erik Solheim, former Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and former Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said that China has contributed many technologies to global green development related to water, and he looks forward to the current global rediscovery of the spirit of Zheng He, who sailed from Nanjing down the Yangtze River to the Western Seas for international exchange and cooperation, to solve common problems faced by humanity.

Wang Houjun, Director of the Publicity and Education Center of China's Ministry of Water Resources, introduced that China adheres to the water management approach of "giving priority to water conservation, pursuing spatial balance, implementing systematic management, and leveraging government and market mechanisms," and unwaveringly promotes high-quality development in water conservancy. He hopes that all countries will deeply explore water culture resources, jointly conduct research on water culture, and disseminate wisdom and experience in water management.

At the seminar, representatives from multiple countries discussed topics such as how culture influences river management in different civilizations and how river management contributes to achieving sustainable development goals. In addition, several experts shared cases in the fields of water culture research and water resources management.

The 10th World Water Forum opened on the 20th on Bali Island, Indonesia. The forum is currently the largest international event in the field of water issues and is generally held every three years.