Chinese political advisors contribute insights on water use

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, presides over a bi-weekly seminar held by the CPPCC National Committee in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Shen Hong)

Chinese national political advisors contributed suggestions on efficient water use and water conservation at a bi-weekly seminar held by the top political advisory body on Friday.

Wang Yang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), presided over the meeting.

It is necessary to put water conservation first, and accelerate the transformation from extensive and inefficient water use to economical and intensive use for the sustainable development of the Chinese nation, Wang stressed at the seminar.

Revolving around the implementation of the guiding principle for water governance, 11 political advisors and academics contributed their wisdom from the perspectives of legal and policy support, a supervisory system, and the role of market mechanisms.

More than 80 political advisors voiced their opinions through a mobile platform of the CPPCC National Committee.

Advisors proposed a mechanism to assess the carrying capacity of water resources to determine the amount of water that can be used for local development.

The amount of water used for each 10,000 yuan (about 1,447 U.S. dollars) of gross domestic product should be included in the 14th Five-Year (2021-2025) Plan for economic and social development as a major restrictive indicator, political advisors said.

Calling for water conservation efforts in the whole society, they also highlighted around-the-clock and dynamic supervision of water resources, the role of the market in allocating water resources, and supportive legal system for efficient and sustainable water use.