Your Honorable Chair of GWP, Mrs. Carlson,

Your Excellency Minister Wang Shucheng,

Your Excellency Governor Li Chengyu,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the season of golden autumn, we feel very happy and honored to welcome more than 800 representatives from over 60 countries and areas of the world to present the 2nd IYRF and carry on exchange and discussion on the subject of “keep the healthy life of the rivers”. On behalf of Yellow River Conservancy Commission and the Organizing Committee of the second International Yellow River Forum, I would like to extend warm welcome to the distinguished guests, experts and friends from different countries and areas!

It is well-known that river is the chain of ecosystem relied on by human beings and numerous life-forms and also the important composing part of magnificent and varied configuration on earth. Unceasing rivers not only give us substantial life but also endow us with cultural life. However, most rivers in the world are facing existing crisis due to the immoderate development of rivers.

The Yellow River is the mother river of Chinese nations and also the most complicated river, which is the hardest to harness. Since 1990s, with the population increasing in the basin and the rapid development of economic society, supply and demand of water resources of the Yellow River turns keen day by day. The environment of the basin shows the deteriorating trend: river course running dry, river channel shrinking, water and sediment eroding, water pollution pricking up, etc. which severely restricts the sustainable development of the economic society in the basin. High importance is attached on the issue by Chinese government. Measures are taken to solve it.

Experience told us that human beings and rivers depend on each other for existing. Human beings should get along well with rivers. To reach the aim, we should consider river as life body. Only in this way can the consciousness of human beings respecting river be woken to set an impassable “deadline” for blindly-outstretched human activities. Based on this, we brought forward the concept of regarding “keeping the healthy life of the rivers” as the ultimate aim of river training.

This is a grand proposition, which needs actively participating of experts and scholars and wide international communication and cooperation. Our aim of holding International Yellow River Forum is to form a dialogue platform for relative policy-makers, implementers, experts and scholars.

Current forum taking “keeping the healthy life of the river” as its main subject would be another pageant of river development and protection in China and foreign countries. I do hope that everybody can say your say, communication and cooperation can be enhanced and advanced river-training experience and scientific and technical information can be passed. We would offer our wholehearted services for you.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Keeping healthy life of the rivers” is the common commission human beings facing. Let us hand in hand, try together and make river live forever, flow forever and benefit human beings forever!

In the end, wish great success of the second International Yellow River Forum, Wish dear participants healthy and enjoy your stay in Zhengzhou!

Thank you!