From November 13 to 15, 2016, the “International Conference on Hydrological Knowledge Innovation and Its Practices in Developing Countries” was held in Shenzhen. The conference was organized by Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and Wuhan University (WHU), and steered by the Department of Earth Sciences of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Department of International Affairs of the China Association for Science and Technology, the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IHAS), the International Water Resources Association (IWRA), the IHAS China National Committee and the Society for Ecological Rehabilitation of Beijing. Xia Jun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a professor of WHU; and Liu Junguo, a winner of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars and a professor of SUSTech co-chaired the conference.

Nearly 70 distinguished scientists from 13 countries such as China, the USA, South Africa, Russia, Iran and Zimbabwe attended the conference, including Hubert Savenije, President of IHAS; Xia Jun, a CAS academician; Christophe Cudennec, Secretary General of IHAS; James E. Nickum, Vice President of IWRA; Zhao Yusheng and Zheng Chunmiao, entrants of the Recruitment Program of Global Experts, etc. Guo Yurong, Council Chairperson of SUSTech met with the attendees and extended warm welcome to them on behalf of SUSTech.

The conference brought together hydrological and water experts from the countries along “the Belt and Road” and developing countries, to discuss the water problems drawing global attention, understand and manage hydrological knowledge, jointly cope with the water challenge faced by the world, and ensure global water safety. At the conference, Savenije introduced the relations between IAHS Scientific Decade-Panta Rhei and UN Sustainable Development Goals, noting that changing hydrological science and social system has become the frontier and hotspot of current hydrological science research; China will become the world economic and political center, and China has the ability and obligation to help other developing countries develop hydrological science. Xia noted that water shortage, water pollution, water ecological degradation have become the restrictions of China’s sustainable development; the conflict between social water consumption increase and ecological water consumption has led to ecological degradation, thus solving the problem of water ecological degradation has become the top priority; a series of policies implemented by China in recent years, such as “strictest water resources management” and “eco-civilization construction”, have created a rare historical opportunity for the solution of water problems; China should work with the rest of the world, especially the countries along the “Belt and Road”, to cope with the global water crisis.

During the conference, the attendees voted through the “Shenzhen Declaration on Global Hydrological Science and Practice” (“Shenzhen Declaration”) by a show of hands, calling for efforts to work out a multinational interdisciplinary cooperation framework in association with global hydrological scientists to promote the hydrological knowledge innovation and practices in all countries, especially the countries along the “Belt and Road”. China will play a leading role in hydrological knowledge innovation in the countries along the “Belt and Road”, promote the personnel exchanges and international cooperation among different countries through technical training and policy counseling, and assist more developing countries in establishing national working committees of IAHS Scientific Decade (Panta Rhei), and promote the development of IAHS in developing countries.

After the release of the “Shenzhen Declaration”, the attendees had a heated and fruitful discussion about the next-step action plan of Panta Rhei. An Iranian delegate proposed that the next Panta Rhei international conference should be organized on the basis of the Shenzhen conference; an African delegate called for efforts to strengthen the water network cooperation between China and Africa, and carry out international cooperation through the China-Africa Water Forum. The attendees also discussed issues such as holding the IHAS Conference in South Africa, strengthening the all-round international strategic cooperation between China and the countries along the “Belt and Road” including African countries in issues such as fund application, technology training and student education.

Savenije made a concluding speech. He spoke highly of the strategic importance of the conference, evaluating the conference as “a milestone of IAHS Scientific Decade which will go into the history of international hydrological science”. He promised to publish the “Shenzhen Declaration” on the website of IHAS, and support the cooperation plans proposed by delegates. He stressed that China is vital to world hydrological science, noting that China has become a political and economic leader in the world, China has the ability and obligation to help other countries (especially the countries along the “Belt and Road” and African countries) develop hydrological science, and China plays a leading role in hydrological research and practice.

Following the conference, some attendees attended the inaugural ceremony of the Chinese Working Committee for the IAHS-Panta Rhei on November 16. The committee will be committed to promoting the development of IHAS Scientific Decade in China and China’s international cooperation with the rest of the world (especially the countries along the “Belt and Road”) in hydrological science.

School of Environmental Science and Engineering

Liu Junguo