The 2015 World Hydropower Congress, co-organized by IWHR and other three Chinese partners, was opened on May 19, 2015 by the Yanqi Lake in Huairou, Beijing. More than 740 participants, including Mr. LIU Zhiguang, Director General of Department of International Cooperation, Science and Technology, Ministry of Water Resources, IWHR President Kuang Shangfu, Vice President Jia Jinsheng and Wang Xiaogang, attended the congress that was centered on the theme of “Shape the future, advancing sustainable hydropower development.”
IHA Executive Director Richard Taylor chairing the opening ceremony
The opening ceremony, chaired by IHA Executive Director Richard Taylor, gave its focus on China. IHA President Ken Adams, Deputy Director of National Energy Administration Liu Qi, President of Secretariat of China Association for Science and Technology Wang Chunfa, Chairman of Chinese National Committee on Large Dams and former Minister of Water Resources of China Wang Shucheng, Chairman of China Society for Hydropower Engineering and former Director of Office of South-to-North Water Diversion Project Commission of State Council Zhang Jiyao, and President of China Three Gorges Corporation Wang Lin spoke at the ceremony, congratulating the convening of the congress and welcoming the participants.
During the ceremony, a panel discussion was conducted among representatives from construction companies and research institutes of water and hydropower, including IWHR Vice President Jia Jinsheng who talked on promoting safer and more environment-friendly hydropower development through innovations. He pointed out, modern hydropower development was faced with challenges of large scale, high environmental requirements and complex morphological and geological conditions; as a result, technological innovation and environment-friendly measures were particularly important.
Panel discussion
The congress is supported by National Energy Administration and China Association for Science and Technology, and is co-organized by China Three Gorges Corporation, China Society for Hydropower Engineering, Chinese National Committee on Large Dams and IWHR.
The congress attracts great attentions from governments, UN agencies, international organizations and research institutes, and was attended by influential organizations such as World Energy Council, UNESCO International Hydrological Program, World Bank, Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, The Nature Conservancy, and International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Focus on the hydropower development in both Africa and Asia, participants explored new cooperation opportunities in 5 plenary meetings, 21 technical sessions and many side events, and discussed on hydropower development trends, technical challenges, financing mechanisms, water-energy nexus, climate change, social and environmental impacts, etc. Academicians of Chinese Academy of Engineering Chen Houqun and Wang Hao gave speeches at the hydropower safety and water-energy nexus sessions. IWHR co-hosted one of the sessions titled “Modernization: how can existing assets be optimized” on May 20.
The World Hydropower Congress is initiated by IHA, and has been organized biennially since 2007.
