Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, releases a think tank report titled "A Mighty River That Nourishes a Great Nation -- Achievements, Insights, and Global Significance of Yangtze River Governance in the New Era," during the 2025 Great Rivers Forum in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Sept. 26, 2025. Themed "Great River Civilization -- Global Water Security and High-Quality Development," the forum attracted around 240 participants from international organizations, universities, research institutes and government agencies from more than 20 countries and regions. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

WUHAN, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- The 2025 Great Rivers Forum opened on Friday in the city of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, highlighting global civilization exchanges and ecological governance of the world's major rivers.

Themed "Great River Civilization -- Global Water Security and High-Quality Development," the forum attracted around 240 participants from international organizations, universities, research institutes and government agencies from more than 20 countries and regions.

During the event, Fu Hua, president of Xinhua News Agency, released a think tank report titled "A Mighty River That Nourishes a Great Nation -- Achievements, Insights, and Global Significance of Yangtze River Governance in the New Era," underlining China's efforts to protect rivers and lakes nationwide while advancing global water security and prosperity.

China's water governance in the new era has made notable achievements, Fu said in his address, noting that Xinhua will continue to tell stories of great rivers while presenting China's approach to the protection and sustainable use of water resources.

The surging rivers have become channels for trade, catalysts for technological development, and inspirations and incentives for faith, said Qu Xing, deputy director-general of UNESCO.

As droughts and floods are becoming more frequent worldwide, Qu expressed the hope that the conference would help participants explore new ideas, forge new partnerships, and work together to draw lessons from history and inspire the future.

Global water security is not merely an environmental concern, but a cornerstone of sustainable development, health and peace, said Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian Ambassador to China. He added that he hopes the forum will inspire concrete commitments and enduring partnerships to ensure that the world's great rivers continue to flow clean, life-giving, and rich with stories for generations to come.

The three-day forum is co-hosted by UNESCO and the Wuhan municipal government. Two parallel forums, focusing on the sustainable development of great river civilizations in the era of digital intelligence and cultural expression of river civilizations in national cultural park development, will also be held during the event. A high-level round table on the ecological protection of the great river civilization will also take place. ■