Wang Shucheng, minister of water resources, at the National Water Resources Departmental Directors Conference held in Beijing, called for seizing the opportunity, accurately spotting the location and losing no time to quicken the pace of water resources development in the western region.

Wang said that his ministry had set forth the focus of work in four aspects for the development of water resources in the western region: first, formulating a water conservancy plan with improving the ecological environment as the fundamental and the pitching-in point; second, carrying out irrigated area construction focused on water-saving irrigation; third, strengthening unified management of water resources in the river valley and area with the optimal allocation of these resources as the objective; and forth, implementing necessary cross-river-valley water transfer, with the long-term and overall interests being taken into consideration.

According to him, the reasonable exploration and utilization of water resources are important parts of the western development strategy. He pointed to the need of correctly handling the relationship between economic and social development on the one hand and population, resource and environment on the other to achieve the sustainable use of water resources and the sustainable development of economy and society in the western region.