CHAIR OF GWP CHINA ZHIYU ZHONG (2026-2030)
Zhiyu ZHONG holds a Doctor of Engineering degree. A Professor-level Senior Engineer, he currently serves as the Chief Engineer of the Ministry of Water Resources. He is also a Member of the 13th and 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and a Member of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee of the CPPCC National Committee. Additionally, he is a recipient of the Special Government Allowance of the State Council.
With decades of dedication to the planning, design and research of the Yangtze River Basin and major water conservancy projects, Dr. ZHONG spearheads the compilation of the Comprehensive Plan, Flood Control Plan and Water Resources Plan for the Yangtze River Basin. He has presided over a host of national key R&D programs and scientific and technological research projects, with a representative example being the Technology for Multi-objective Joint Operation of Cascade Reservoir Groups in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River. His outstanding contributions have earned him prestigious honors including the Qian Ning Sediment Science Award and the Liu Guangwen Engineering Technology Award.
Dr. ZHONG has also led a portfolio of pivotal research initiatives, notably: the Eighth Five-Year Plan National Key S&T Research Project Research on the Joint Operation Model of the Yangtze River Flood Control System; the Ministry of Water Resources Science and Technology Innovation Project Research on the Dynamic Storage Capacity of the Three Gorges Reservoir; the Waterway and Port Regulation in the Fluctuating Backwater Area—the eighth individual item of the Three Gorges Project; the study on cascade operation technology of the Three Gorges-Gezhouba Water Control Project; and the Eleventh Five-Year Plan National Science and Technology Support Program Project Research on Key Technologies of Sediment and Flood Control after the Operation of the Three Gorges Project.
These research outcomes have been integrated into the revision of the Comprehensive Plan of the Yangtze River Basin, as well as the formulation of the state-approved Optimized Operation Scheme of the Three Gorges Reservoir and Yangtze River Flood Operation Scheme. They have afforded a robust scientific foundation and technical underpinning for developing flood control strategies, plans and effective disaster mitigation countermeasures tailored to the evolving flood control context of the Yangtze River, and laid a solid scientific basis for the real-time operation and dispatch of the Three Gorges Project.
SECRETARY GENERAL OF GWP CHINA YONG ZHAO (2026-2030)
Yong ZHAO, PhD in Hydrology and Water Resources, is currently Director of the Department of Water Resources at the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR). He also holds the titles of Recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, Leading Talent in Water Conservancy of the Ministry of Water Resources, and Leader of the Innovation Team on Layout and Key Technologies of the National Water Network Project.
Dr. ZHAO specializes in research on hydrological cycle evolution, efficient utilization of water resources, and the National Water Network. He has led over 70 research projects, including key undertakings under the National Key R&D Program during the 13th and 14th Five-Year Plan periods. His work has provided systematic technical support for pivotal water governance initiatives, such as the remediation of groundwater over-exploitation in North China, water resources security for the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, and the planning and construction of the National Water Network. Notably, his policy recommendations have been adopted and implemented by national authorities on over 10 occasions.
His academic and technological achievements are remarkable: he is the recipient of 1 Second-Class National Science and Technology Progress Award, 3 Special-Class and 10 First-Class Provincial and Ministerial Awards for Science and Technology Progress as well as Technological Invention and Innovation. He has published more than 200 SCI/EI-indexed papers and 12 academic monographs, and secured over 50 domestic and international invention patents along with 20 software copyrights.