The first activity focused on“Water and Energy Development in China”. The invited experts/representatives were from the Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Environmental Protection, State Energy Administration, Chinese Academy of Sciences , China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, HSBC Holdings plc, The Nature Conservancy, The Energy Foundation and National Research Center for Sustainable Hydropower Development. Regarding the topic, the participants discussed the balance between hydropower projects development and river basin ecosystem protection as well as the pressure on local water use due to hydropower development in the local areas.
Together with the WRI, WWF and IUCN , GWP China initiates a pioneering activity to work out technical insight papers of water related subjects based on the open discussions in Water Salon by the invited experts. It aims at setting up an edge-cutting, strategic, explorative and innovative platform.The first activity receives feedbacks and recommendations from the participants, their colleagues and our partner organizations. We are going to draft the technical work paper under the first theme, called “Insight” to be shared on the platform of GWP China regional website by all visitors. Water Salon plays as a trigger to encourage close cooperation between NGOs so as to strengthen the network of GWP China at regional level. GWP China and WRI China, in addition to the cooperation in Water Salon, also plan to co-organize the side event at the 2015 World Water Week in Stockholm on August 23. It’s reflected that the neutral platform of open discussion or free communication built by the NGOs group would be easier to convene such smaller size meetings inviting experts/representatives from different sectors and departments at all levels or to encourage and support the public, women and youth in participating in water development and management.