Your Honorable Spanish environment minister Mrs. Cristina Narbona,

Your Honorable Hungarian Environment Ministry State Secretary ,

Your Honorable World Water Commission (WWC) Chair Mr. Loic Fauchon, 

Your Honorable GWP executive secretary Mr. Emilio Gabbrielli,

Your Excellency vice Minister Mr. Jiao Yong,

Your Excellency vice Minister Mr.Hu Siyi,

Your Honorable GWP executive secretary Mr. Emilio Gabbrielli,

Your Excellency Vice Governor Jia Wanzhi of Shandong Province,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On this opening ceremony of the 3rd Yellow River International Forum and on behalf of Yellow River Conservancy Commission and the Organizing Committee of the 3rd International Yellow River Forum, I would like to extend warm welcome to the distinguished guests, experts and friends from 64 counties and areas!

In October, 2005, we successfully held the 2nd Yellow River International Forum in Zhengzhou and carried on deep discussion on keeping the healthy life of rivers. At last, "Keep the Healthy Life of Rivers---Declaration of the Yellow River"was formed, which refers that river has a life, to keep the healthy life of rivers is the alerting and wakening and regression of human being in nature and even the necessary requirement of sustainable development of the society. Looking over the history of river training of the world, we found that "training of large river starts from the estuary". Based on this, the subject of this forum is "sustainable use of water resources of basin and maintaining the ecosystem of river delta".

It is well-known that the Yellow River is a river of the hardest to train with less water and more sediment and the relationship of water and sediment is not harmony. Average sediment discharging amount of years of the Yellow River is 1,600 billion tons, which is the most in the world. It is a well-known sediment-loaded river. Due to the large amount of sediment discharged into the sea by the Yellow River, a delta of 6,000 km2 has been formed in the estuary of the Yellow River. There is the youngest land and the youngest city in the world and the largest wetland of Asia here. Average runoff of years of the Yellow River is only 58,000 billion M3 which occupies 2% of water resources of China. The Yellow River supplies water for 15% of irrigation area and 12% of the population of China, which is the river of life of Chinese nations. With the increasing of water use for development of economic society, the lower reaches of the Yellow River ran dry frequently in 1990s, which caused pollution of estuary area of the Yellow River, shrinking of wetland area and demolishing of live diversity. The Yellow River faces shortage of water resources, exasperating of ecosystem of estuary area.

Since Yellow River Conservancy Commission was authorized to carry out integrated management and regulation of water quantity in 1999, he has been coordinating with related water administration departments and the administrative unit of reservoirs along the Yellow River and gained the successive 8 years of no zero flow. 8 times of water and sediment regulation has implemented since 2002. The integrated water regulation and water and sediment regulation of Yellow River Conservancy Commission increased the quantity into the sea and to some degree guaranteed the water requirement of estuary area, especially fresh water wetland of the estuary.

China is a developing county. Economic society would experience a long-term developing course, which requires us to keep the healthy life of the Yellow River. Sustainable development of economic society of basin and relative area should be supported by the sustainable usage of water resources of the Yellow River. In order to maintain good cycle of ecosystem of estuary, prevent sea water from running back into the river, meet the requirement of biology reproducing rate and metabolism of biology of estuary area and maintain certain area of wetland, the Yellow River should supply reliable water resources for estuary delta. How to coordinate basin with life, production and ecosystem of related area is a difficult problem which basin managers should deal with.

Sustainable use of water resources of basin and maintaining the ecosystem of river delta can be discussed here, which is indeed a good thing to the Yellow River.  Up to now, there are over 1,000 representatives from abroad and at home, among which 286 from abroad and 800 at home. Among these experts, there are either well-known basin managers or experts on water resources and ecology. In order to make it easy for  representatives to research deeply and exchange broadly on the subject--- sustainable use of water resources of basin and maintaining the ecosystem of river delta, special sessions and branches have been arranged.During the session, the Organizing Committee would endeavor to serve you. Please contact us directly if you have any question.

Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Yellow River Conservancy Commission, I warmly welcome again experts and scholars from all over the world to attend research on the Yellow River and suggest on the development and training of the Yellow River. I would like to extend thanks to international organizations, societies, government and enterprises who have been giving help and funds to the 3rd Yellow River International Forum!

Wish every representative healthy and happy! Wish the forum successful!

Thank you!