A workshop for water engineers and scientists from developing countries was held in Beijing from August 16 to 20, 2010. The workshop was sponsored by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) and organized by Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences (RCEES), CAS.

With the theme of water and sanitation, the workshop aimed to encourage developing countries to jointly tackle the problems of global water pollution and drinking water security and to set up a platform for technique and experience exchange and research cooperation, so as to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Experts in water resource protection, water supply, sanitation technique and administration from over 20 developing countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Tunisia, etc. participated in the workshop. Bai Chunli, executive vice-president of CAS, and Hasan, executive director of TWAS, both sent a congratulation letter to the workshop. Director of RCEES, Qu Jiuhui attended the opening ceremony and delivered an address.

In the 3-day workshop, experts will discuss issues of how to communicate and cooperate in solution of water pollution and guarantee of drinking water security among developing countries.

With the deepening of economic growth and global change, the threat of water security, especially in developing countries, is becoming more and more alarming. Therefore, the cooperation in full scale among developing countries is urgently needed to deal with problems such as drinking water pollution, inadequate water supply and hidden danger in water sanitation. The convening of the workshop not only has great significance in water and sanitation in China, but also lay the groundwork for mutual understanding, multilateral cooperation and mutual promotion among developing countries in water research.