World Water Council president hails China's flood relief measures

The president of the World Water Council (WWC) Thursday praised China's flood relief work while attending a WWC conference in Beijing and the WWC Pavilion Day at the Shanghai World Expo.

Loic Fauchon told Xinhua his organization and the international community at large were very impressed by China's rescue efforts and capacity to mobilize resources in flood relief.

Heavy rains and floods ravaging south and central China had killed at least 211 people and left 119 missing.

Fauthon also said cooperation between the WWC and China was very positive, and he was glad that the WWC for the first time had a pavilion at the World Expo.

"The pavilion will show to 8 million visitors of Shanghai World Expo all the important matters of water," said Fauchon.

"For the future, the control of water resources and water quality is essential for the development of China and peace between China and countries around."

He identified the largest challenge facing China in terms of water as bringing water to megacities.

About 400 out of 655 Chinese cities suffer from water shortages, and 200 are in dire situations, the State Council Information Office announced in March.

Fauchon said the Chinese government had already taken a lot of efforts, such as creating infrastructures to transfer water from one region to another.

The WWC, established in 1996, promotes itself as an international platform "to promote awareness, build political commitment and trigger action on critical water issues at all levels."

Source: Xinhua