Provided to China Daily

"When I first came to Africa, the landscapes natural beauty, breathtaking scenery and great wildlife really appealed to me. But at the same time, I was shocked by the condition of the local water," Li says.

Positioning South Africa right in China

Building bridges

"Many local people got sick due to the scarcity of safe water and the lack of sanitation supplies. Since then, a powerful sense of mission has developed and that underpins everything we do there," Li says.

Despite the many difficulties, Li and his team constantly travel throughout Africa, and they have struggled on tirelessly and without complaint.

"Whenever I arrive in an African country, I will take some time to visit local museums and markets to try to understand more about the local culture and life-style. I think this will help improve collaboration," he says.

Li and his research team work on two main projects, the re-use of waste water for forest plantation irrigation, and the development of new technologies for the supply of safe water. The team has gained first-hand knowledge about water resource distribution and the main barriers to water treatment in Africa.

Three memorandums of understanding on safe water supply and water treatment technology were signed with partners from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Kisumu, Nairobi of Kenya and demonstration projects have been ongoing.

In order to adapt to East Africa's unstable raw water quality such high turbidity and frequent variation, Li and his team carried out thorough technological research at Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, and made technical progress in water quality control and management, which effectively ensured the safety of the city's water supply.