"Water is not only the most valuable but also the most crucial and strategic resource of the 21st century, and it therefore requires special management and protection", Zoltán Illés declared at the session of the China Europe Water Platform in Budapest on Wednesday. The Ministry of Rural Development's Minister of State for Environmental Affairs pointed out that in future, most of the conflicts throughout the world would be caused by a lack of water.

Mr. Illés reminded those present that, having recognised the importance of water, the EU formulated its Water Framework Directive in 2000. The new regulations were the first to address the fact that water management is more than just water distribution and treatment, as well as defining the principle of "river basins", which enables the cross-border management of water-related issues.

The Minister of State for Environmental Affairs also pointed out that both too little and too much water can pose a challenge to countries. The problem of flooding or drought goes beyond national or provincial borders, whether in Hungary or in China. Both natural phenomena are highly relevant in the Danube River Basin in Europe, and similarly in the Yangtze River Basin in China, for example. In future, water managers must also pay attention to the provisions of the Water Framework Directive and River Basin Management Plans, he added.

Mr. Illés also stressed the importance of water-efficiency and the application of green infrastructure, such as natural water retention measures. The Minister of State called for the development of more efficient irrigation mechanisms and pointed out the need to decrease leakage from water distribution networks.

The China Europe Water Platform was established at the Marseilles World Water Forum in 2012, as an institution to coordinate jointly financed and managed projects linked to water. Future programmes will be realised with the cooperation of water governance and the business community. The work of the Platform is aided by a joint Danish-Chinese secretariat.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)