China on Monday encouraged Africa to promote specific cooperation in the development and utilization of water resources to solve water shortage problems.
Speaking at the China Africa Water Forum in Windhoek, Chinese Ambassador to Namibia Zhang Yiming said the shortage of water resources had become a big problem concerning human survival and development.
"China has the experience, resources and technology, more importantly, we have the good will to work with African countries for mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.
"Our increasingly mature artificial rainfall and desalination technologies, underground water exploration, water recycling, rainwater purification and water saving irrigation technologies are all good choices for African countries to solve water shortage problems," Zhang said.
He said the forum can be a bridge for bilateral and multilateral practical cooperation between China and African countries.
"The China-Africa Water Forum should not only be theoretical but also practical. It is expected that this forum is committed to put their theoretical research into real programs which could benefit more and more people as soon as possible," he said.
China-Africa Water Association Secretary General Xu Yongxin said the association was concerned about the water security in Africa.
Xu said that in many cases, the people in Africa were suffering from water shortages because of governance issues which include inadequate water management policies and corruption.
"People may argue that there are a number of rivers and lakes in Africa but people still suffer from water shortage. It is not physical water shortage, in some cases it is because of the way water is managed. We conclude that there is a huge governance issue," Xu said.
He warned that if a solution to water shortages was not found, it might lead to conflict.
"To prevent this we are here to find out how we can contribute towards a peaceful and stable Africa. We have big objectives which include poverty eradication to improve the standards of living in Africa. We will look closely at water cases, then highlight specific objectives to achieve to facilitate bilateral networking ," he said.
The two-day forum will include presentations and discussions from Chinese water resource experts, scholars, professors and engineers.
Chinese leading companies such as PowerChina Resources Limited and China Energy Engineering Corporation Limited are also taking part in the forum.
The conference will share information, knowledge and technology applications about water related aspects with regard to both surface and groundwater.
