IWHR President Dr. Peng Jing delivered a keynote speech on the Water Culture Forum of the 11th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, which was held on July 10 in Qufu, Shandong Province in east China.
Bringing together experts from government agencies, research institutions, universities, and international organizations worldwide, the Forum served as a global platform for dialogue on global water governance and cross-civilizational learning.
Dr. Peng’s keynote speech focused on river ethics, a foundational philosophy for sustainable water governance first proposed by China’s Minister of Water Resources H.E. Li Guoying at the UN 2023 Water Conference. River ethics regard rivers as living entities with intrinsic rights to survival, health, and ecological integrity, and advocate for harmonious coexistence between humans and rivers.
Dr. Peng emphasized that humans and rivers form a community of life. The construction of river ethics, she said, requires a deep understanding of the human-river relationship from both historical and global perspectives. Ethical principles such as treating rivers kindly, utilizing them wisely, managing them effectively, and sharing their benefits fairly should be upheld to strengthen human responsibility, safeguard the survival and health of rivers, and achieve harmony between human development and river well-being, she noted.
She indicated that constructing river ethics represents both an inheritance and an innovation of water culture in the new era. It helps to shape shared social values and behavioral norms, foster broader cultural recognition of water, and inspire voluntary actions to protect rivers, she said.
During the roundtable discussion, global experts exchanged views under the theme “Water Culture and Global Modernization,” exploring culturally rooted solutions to today’s water challenges.
The Forum also saw the launch of the Water Culture Forum Initiative, which seeks to address global water challenges from a cultural perspective.
