Ousmane Dione, Practice Manager of World Bank East Asia and Pacific (EAP) Global Practice on Water Resources, led a 5-person delegation to IWHR on December 7, 2015, and was received by IWHR Vice President Liu Zhiping.

Prof. Liu welcomed the visiting guests, reviewed the existing cooperation between the institute and the World Bank, and briefed the attendants on the current situation and policies of water resources management in China. He agreed on World Bank’s efforts in improving water resources management, and said IWHR, with research strengths in related areas, is willing to enhance cooperation with the Bank so as to provide technical support to addressing the water-related challenges.

Mr. Dione thanked IWHR for the hospitality. He talked about the situation and challenge of water security currently facing the world, as well as the strategies the World Bank has implemented in the area of water environment, and expressed his close interest in water resources management and related policies in China. He hoped cooperation could be strengthened and experience shared to provide intellectual support for water-related decision making in China, and that successes could be replicated to the scientific management and sustainable development of water resources worldwide.

Scott Keyworth from Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) introduced the practice and achievements of integrated water resources management conducted in Murray-Darling basin, as well as the cooperative research results with IWHR. Mr. Keyworth said he was looking forward to enhanced cooperation with IWHR under the sponsorship of World Bank.