China still faces huge challenges in controlling floods and securing water supplies despite setting up a nationwide network to minimize disasters, said Water Resources Minister Wang Shucheng on Saturday.

Wang made the remarks at the ministerial-level meeting of the Third World Water Forum in Kyoto in west Japan.

He urged developed countries to give economic and technical aid to developing nations to address water-related problems.

Wang said that since water was fundamental to life, social production and the environment, water conservation should become part of poverty relief, economic development and environmental protection measures.

Wang listed China's major challenges in water conservancy as frequent floods, severe water shortages, extensive soil erosion and water pollution.

He said the sustainable use of water resources would help the country build a well-off xiaokang society in an all-round way.

The ministry recently developed a water conservation blueprint to the year 2010 to give China's population of 1.3 billion access to clean, drinkable water, to guarantee water supply, and to improve the environment.

The World Water Council, the main organizer of the forum in Japan, has issued a discussion paper, stating everybody needs to take responsibility for securing safe water supplies.

During the eight-day event, more than 10,000 people from about 180 countries discussed various water-related issues at nearly 350 sessions divided into roughly 40 themes, such as water and poverty, and water and peace.

Based on the forum discussions and a two-day ministerial meeting over the weekend, a final version of the World Water Council's "World Water Action" report will be released in June, forum officials said.

(China Daily March 24, 2003)