Water: Goal is to improve lives, livelihoods

By committing to a people-centered approach and obeying the laws of nature, China has made remarkable achievements in water resource management in the past 10 years and supported consistent economic growth with stable water consumption.

Through rich exchanges and cooperation with United Nations agencies and countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, China has also made positive contributions to promoting the water-related goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the socioeconomic development of BRI countries.

Li Guoying, minister of water resources, made the remarks in an exclusive interview with China Daily ahead of the UN 2023 Water Conference, a three-day gathering in New York that will start on Wednesday, which is World Water Day.

China has seen consistent improvements in its capacity to conserve water and enhance the efficiency of water usage, he emphasized.

With annual total water consumption controlled within 610 billion cubic meters, China has managed to support an average annual economic growth rate of about 6 percent, the minister said.

"The overall national water usage efficiency is on par with the world average level, with some regions such as Beijing and Tianjin municipalities already reaching an internationally advanced level," he added.