Brief Introduction to Partnership for Mega-city Water Protection
1. Background
The water crisis in China is a matter of major concern. The per capita availability of
water resources here is only 2,300 m3, which is 1/4 of the world average and makes
China belong to the worldwide 13 countries with the poorest per capita quantity of
water resource. As a result of this and of the serious water pollution there is a 40
billion m3 water shortage in China annually. More than 400 of the total 660 cities
suffer under water shortage, 30 of the 32 largest cities suffer under permanent
water shortage. An average of 20 million hectare of farm land is annually hit by
draught. More than 300 million people in the rural areas use unqualified drinking
water; over 23 million people and 13 million livestock have temporary no access to
clean drinking water. Therefore, dealing with the crisis jointly in different regions
would be inevitable and significant with the efforts of knowledge exchanging,
experience sharing and effective interaction.
2. Introduction
The city water partnership is to be launched in 2013 by Beijing Forestry Society, to
promote protection and sustainability of drinking water in cities, to alleviate the
water crisis in big cities at home and abroad, and to address social, economic and
other problems caused by water, in an innovative way. Approximate 10 cities are to
be invited into the partnership which will be formally launched during the 18th
Katoomba Meeting held in May of 2013.
3. Objective
Communication of protection of drinking water sources in cities strengthened;
lessons and experience shared; cross-basin water source protection (e.g. Miyun
Reservoir) promoted; research into sensitive and thorny issues concerning water
protection (e.g. cross-basin cooperation, IWS, etc) carried out to provide advice for
government policy-making.
4. Approach
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To provide technical services and solutions for the protection of water resource
areas, provide advices for governmental decision making and law establishment
To connect localities to a global network of water resource area protection, to
improve exchange and communication among the water resource areas
To extend the experiences and technical models of the protection of the water
resource area of the Miyun Reservoir
To provide a platform of exchange of the technologies and the talents of water
resource area protection from home and abroad
To improve capacity and awareness of technicians and public in the field of
water resource area protection from different levels
5. Member
Qingdao, Dalian, Shenzhen, Lanzhou, Xi’an, Taiyuan, Kunming, Tianjin, Xiamen and
Guangzhou, together 10 large and medium-sized cities in China will join the
partnership at its early stage. City representatives will be from local society of water
and soil conservation. With expanding range of influence, more members will be
invited to the partnership gradually, making a total number of 20 to 30, and foreign
cities will be considered. The partnership secretariat will be responsible for daily
operation and be set up in Beijing Forestry Society.