About 80 participants, including Mr. ZHANG Xinsheng, the IUCN President, Ms. Aban Marker Kabraji, IUCN Asia Regional Director, Floris Wesseling, the President of Danone Waters China, Mr. WU Zhimin, the Deputy Director of International Forestry Cooperation Center of State Forestry Administration as well as representatives from Guangdong provincial and Huizhou prefectural organizations, and journalist from the Xinhua News Agency, Nanfang Daily etc, witnessed the launch of the project. On behalf of GWP China, Mr. Zheng Rugang,Coordinator of GWP China was invited as one of the speakers at the opening of the event.
GWP China is one of the partners to implement this project. The project aims at better protecting the critical drinking water sources in the Upper Dongjiang River Basin. The focus is on the Jiaquan Watershed, and the project will involve local communities and empowering local stakeholders to manage natural resources sustainably so as to ensure that the watershed provides healthy ecosystem services and multiple benefits to 20 million local and downstream residents.
IUCN China Office and Danone Waters China Launch Pilot Project on Drinking Water Source to Protect Critical Watersheds in Dongjiang River Basin
IUCN China Office launched a new pilot project on protecting drinking water source with Danone Ecosystem Fund and Danone Waters China on January 20, 2014 in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. The Launch event was sponsored by IUCN, International Forestry Cooperation Center of State Forestry Administration, Guangdong Provincial Forestry Department, and Danone Waters China, and co-supported by South China Agriculture University and Guangdong Provincial Academy of Forestry.