The second Yellow River International Forum opened on Tuesday in Henan Province. The four-day forum, which focuses on maintaining the lives of rivers, is being attended by more than 800 water experts from 61 countries and over 10 international organizations.

Participants will explore issues on river management and development, and find solutions to problems that are killing and choking the world's rivers.

"Mankind should not exploit water resources at the expense of the existence of and utilization of water by future generations," Wang Shucheng, Minister of Water Resources, said in a keynote speech.

"Most rivers in the world are sick," said Li Guoying, director of China's Yellow River Conservancy Commission. "We are faced with a crisis because of immoderate development."

"Dry events" or periods of extremely light rainfall have affected many of the world's major rivers such as Egypt's Nile River and the United States' Colorado River.

China's Yellow River, one of the world's most complicated river systems and irrigation source for China's most important agricultural areas, also suffered the effects of dry events and dry-ups were reported every year until a policy on healthy rivers was implemented in 1999. Thanks to the construction of water projects and the changes in the ideology of water management systems, no dry-up has been recorded for six consecutive years since then.

Citing China's current management of the Yellow River as an example, Dutch Crown Prince William Alexander, who is also the image ambassador for Global Water Partnership, said at the forum that it is the duty of the international water community to work even harder to create smart and safe water systems.

World water academics and experts attending the forum will also be discussing issues concerning rivers, post-flood reconstruction, the environment, food and agriculture and international cooperation.

The forum ends tomorrow.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2005)