International water summit held in HK

April 1, 2025

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Chief Executive John Lee says innovation in infrastructure development will power a sustainable, water-secure future.

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Chief Executive John Lee: 

We like Dongjiang water. For good reasons. It meets the highest national standard for surface water used for human consumption. No less essential, it continues to flow, fuelling Hong Kong’s economic miracle, supporting our economy and community, while helping to ensure our city’s sustainable development and long-term prosperity.

The theme of this summit is “Smart Water, High-Quality Development”. That tells me that if we want to ensure a sustainable water supply, we need to invest in its future, and do it innovatively.
      
Hong Kong has long been recognised for its infrastructure prowess. Indeed, Hong Kong’s infrastructure was ranked among the top 10, globally, in the World Competitiveness Yearbook last year.
      
Our major water supply projects include High Island Reservoir, Hong Kong’s largest reservoir, and the Tseung Kwan O Desalination Plant, the first waterworks in Hong Kong to adopt advanced reverse osmosis desalination technology.
      
As an international centre of innovation and technology (I&T), we are keen on applying I&T to water management. Last year, we set up a Digital Water Office to drive the digitalisation of our water supply services.
      
The office promotes the use of smart devices, digital twin technology and artificial intelligence, to gradually gain full automation of operations in our waterworks installations.

Innovation in infrastructure development will power our water-secure future. Our goal is to establish Hong Kong as an international infrastructure centre that serves our city and China, our country.

The International Water Pioneers Summit was held today in Hong Kong, attracting around 5,000 participants either on-site or online.

Themed “Smart Water‧High-Quality Development”, the summit assembled political and industry leaders, experts, academics, senior government officials and other stakeholders to explore new opportunities for collaboration in the water supply sector.

Chief Executive John Lee, Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying, Guangdong Governor Wang Weizhong, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Director Zheng Yanxion, Leadership Office of the Hong Kong & Macao Work Office Member Xiang Bin, Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong, Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong SAR Deputy Director Qi Bin, Guangdong Vice Governor Zhang Shaokang and Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn all officiated at the summit’s opening ceremony.

Giving an address, Mr Lee remarked that the summit brought together high-profile professionals and senior government officials from Hong Kong, the Mainland, elsewhere in Asia and around the world to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang supplying water to Hong Kong.

The chief executive said that innovation in infrastructure development will power a sustainable, water-secure future, and stressed that Hong Kong will play its part as an international infrastructure centre that serves the needs of the country.

Participants discussed spearheading digital transformation in the water supply sector to help secure healthy water for the benefit of mankind, in addition to co-ordinating knowledge and experience to promote cross-boundary and cross-sector innovation and collaboration.

Topics covered included the water supply sector’s high-quality development, water safety, and water security under the Belt & Road Initiative.

The summit also demonstrated China’s advanced technologies and experience in various aspects of water supply, and the contributions of Chinese culture in the application of water resources.