Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Netherlands and the World Resources Institute, the high-level seminar Sustainable Urban Water Management Under Climate Adaptation was held in Beijing on Nov. 1.

The Global Commission on Adaptation was established in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Oct. 16. Consisting of 17 countries, the Global Commission on Adaptation focuses on climate change adaptation solutions, develops adaptive mechanisms and takes global measures on relevant issues, said Ed Kronenburg, ambassador of the Netherlands to China. It should be emphasized that China has participated and played an important part in solving environmental and climate problems.

The Netherlands is one of the most densely-populated countries in the world with about one third of its land below sea level and two thirds flood-prone, so the country is vulnerable to climate change. At present, the Netherlands pays special attention to urban spatial planning while stressing financing and management, said Kronenburg, adding that China has good experience in the construction of sponge cities, which other countries may learn from.

Sun Zhen, deputy director general of the Department of Climate Change at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China, pointed out that sustainable development and green transformation also benefit in the course of combating climate change. But ultimately we must focus first on achieving the goals in the Paris Agreement, and adaptation to climate change will follow accordingly.

Climate change has fundamentally changed the water resources situation, said Andrew Steer, CEO and president of the World Resources Institute. The rising sea level has caused floods while the extreme climate has resulted in droughts. The flow of water has also become unpredictable. Global climate change is influencing people’s lives in various ways, most often involving water. Adaptation to the water situation is a fundamental problem.

Hubert Jenny, principal infrastructure finance specialist at the Asian Development Bank, noted that “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” proposed by the United Nations in 2015 includes 17 goals for sustainable development, many of which are closely related to water. These goals cannot be realized without sufficient water management.

(Edited by YU HUI)