WASHINGTON, D.C., March 30, 2007 -- The U.S. and China signed an agreement March 27 to expand the cooperative program that provides U.S. technical assistance to help improve and protect water quality and access to safe and sustainable water resources in China. Increasing water conservation and efficiency in China will also help reduce energy consumption and air pollution locally and globally.
"This U.S.-China watershed agreement strengthens our partnership and advances the Bush Administration's agenda for sustainable economic development and environmental protection," said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Benjamin H. Grumbles.
China faces mounting water resource challenges. Under this agreement, EPA will collaborate with China to explore better management solutions through technical assistance to improve the health and accessibility of China's water resources. The agreement provides a framework for cooperation between the countries in the following areas:
• Integrated river basin watershed management;
• Man-made wetlands;
• Water resources monitoring; and
• Wastewater reuse.
The new memorandum of understanding (MOU) came on the heels of this year's 15th World Water Day and China's 20th World Water Week celebrations. EPA and China's Ministry of Water Resources signed the MOU. This agreement complements the 2003 MOU between EPA and China's State Environmental Protection Administration on Scientific and Technical Cooperation in the Field of Environment. An annex to that MOU sets forth a framework for scientific and technical cooperation on water pollution between the two countries.
A copy of the agreement can be found here: http://www.epa.gov/water/chinamou.pdf.
