China participates in global water cooperation

China is actively participating in international cooperation and exchanges to explore solutions to water challenges, Chinese Minister of Water Resources said Wednesday. "Water issues bear on the survival and development of human beings and the well-being of people of all countries," Chen Lei said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua on the third day of the Sixth World Water Forum in Marseille, southern France. The forum, organized by the World Water Council (WWC) in close collaboration with the authorities of the hosting country, has been held every three years since 1997 to raise the importance of water on the political agenda and promote the solution of international water issues. China joined the WWC in 2009 and this year's forum is the first global platform on water issues that China is participating as a full member. It has become a consensus of the international community to attach great importance to great water challenges and promote sustainable use of water resources, said the minister, who is heading the Chinese delegation to the six-day forum. Global climate change has made extreme weather events more frequent and water-related problems such as droughts and floods more severe, which poses a daunting challenge for the world, Chen said. To address the problem, enhanced cooperation and concerted efforts are needed in the international community, he said.