WUHAN, China, Sept. 29, 2025 — The Great Rivers Forum for 2025 commenced on September 26 in Wuhan, a city located in central China’s Hubei Province.
Under the theme “Great River Civilization — Global Water Security and High-Quality Development,” this three-day event drew more than 40 international experts from over 20 nations and regions. Attendees included officials from international organizations, specialists from river basin institutions, and representatives from the Global Network of Water Museums, alongside approximately 200 delegates from prominent domestic universities and research bodies.
Hubei Province, situated in the middle stretches of China’s longest waterway, the Yangtze River, uniquely features more than 1,000 kilometers of the Yangtze’s main stream passing through it. Since its inception, the Great Rivers Forum has established itself as a crucial international platform for cultural exchange, dedicated to highlighting great river civilizations, enhancing urban profiles, and fostering sustainable development.
Leveraging interdisciplinary dialogues and international collaboration, the forum served to disseminate China’s expertise in water security, water environment management, and ecological governance. It also underscored accomplishments in the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and encouraged greater interaction between Yangtze civilization and other major global river civilizations.
During the forum, a think tank report titled “A Mighty River That Nourishes a Great Nation — Achievements, Insights, and Global Significance of Yangtze River Governance in the New Era” was unveiled, illustrating China’s significant advancements in water management.
As stated in the report, China is dedicated not only to protecting its domestic rivers and lakes but also to promoting global water security and prosperity, thereby embedding the concept of a community with a shared future for humanity within international water governance efforts.
Qu Xing, deputy director-general of UNESCO, remarked that powerful rivers have historically served as conduits for trade, drivers of technological progress, and sources of inspiration and spiritual motivation.
Given the increasing global frequency of droughts and floods, Qu conveyed his optimism that the conference would enable attendees to discover fresh perspectives, establish novel partnerships, and collaborate to glean insights from the past to shape future endeavors.
Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun, referencing his nation’s widely cherished song Bengawan Solo, observed that rivers represent more than just geographical attributes; they act as conduits for commerce and the exchange of ideas.
He further stated that global water security constitutes not merely an ecological issue, but a fundamental pillar of sustainable development, well-being, and peace. He expressed his anticipation that the forum would foster tangible commitments and lasting collaborations to guarantee that the world’s significant rivers remain pure, sustaining, and abundant in history for future generations.
Jointly hosted by UNESCO and the Wuhan municipal government, the forum utilizes water as a focal point for discussions concerning river basins. Its aim is to foster cultural and civilizational dialogues between the Yangtze River and other major global river basins, thereby encouraging the collective development of cities situated along these rivers.
The forum’s schedule also featured two concurrent sessions, one dedicated to the sustainable advancement of great river civilizations in the age of digital intelligence, and the other addressing the cultural manifestations of river civilizations within the context of national cultural park development. Additionally, a high-level roundtable discussion was held on the ecological preservation of great river civilizations.
During the closing ceremony, participants adopted the Wuhan Consensus of the Great Rivers Forum. This consensus outlines collaborative efforts to capitalize on opportunities for civilizational dialogue to establish high-level exchange platforms, adapt to evolving civilizational trends to gather global expertise, and tackle development challenges to construct sustainable frameworks.
According to the consensus, all stakeholders are committed to utilizing the 2025 forum to enhance multi-level, interdisciplinary collaboration and thereby foster global civilizational prosperity and further the vision of a community with a shared future for humanity.
Source: The Wuhan municipal government
CONTACT: Contact person: Mr. Wei, Tel: 86-10-63074558
