China and Norway have agreed to promote exchanges and cooperation in expertise concerning water resources.

The two countries have signed a framework agreement to co-operate in water resource management and monitoring, flood control methods, disposal of sand at river mouths, and construction of tunnels to channel rivers, and construction of small hydropower plants.

The agreement takes a step further from the letter of intent the two countries signed in 1997 to improve the co-operation in this area.

The cooperation will also include the exchange of hydrologists and water resource managers and knowledge and experience in integrated water resources management, said Brit Skjelbred, state secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy of Norway.

Skjelbred visited Beijing and cities along the Yantze River last week, meeting Zhai Haohui, vice-minister of the Ministry of Water Resources, and local officials.

"We can learn much from each other," said Skjelbred in the interview.
One of the most important things that Norway can learn from China is how to manage the integration of rivers and their basins, she said.

China has much experience in this regard and Norway can share the experience to help set up similar management structures, she added.

Skjelbred said China can also benefit from the cooperation, taking advantage of the hydrological knowledge and expertise of Norway.

Although the cooperation is mainly on the institutional level, Skjelbred said, many Norwegian companies have expressed interest in investing in Chinese water resource industries.

(China Daily September 30, 2003)