Chinese Minister of Water Resources Chen Lei urged during the World Water Forum (WWF) in Turkey on Thursday effective management and utilization of water infrastructures to address flood prevention, drought relief and disaster reduction.

"Floods and droughts are the most severe natural disasters confronted by human being," said Chen in a keynote speech at the Special Session on Extraordinary Natural Disasters and Risk Management of Water of the WWF, which is on the fourth day of schedule.

Asia has become one of the regions in the world that are "most affected" by these disasters, he said.

"Effective management and utilization of water infrastructures, safeguarding people' lives and sustaining socioeconomic development are not only key issues attracting world attention but also pressing tasks faced by most countries," the minister added.

He introduced China's successful experience of flood prevention, drought relief and disaster reduction in his speech.

He said China has taken effective measures in recent years, including transforming from flood control to flood management and from single-purpose drought relief to a comprehensive approach of integrating the urban, rural and ecological needs all into consideration, implementing structural and nonstructural measures and improving capacity building.

"The Chinese government has paid great attention to flood prevention and drought relief," he said, adding China regards these as important and emergency matters for the improvement of people' livelihood.

China is vulnerable to severe floods and droughts. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, more than 50 extraordinary floods and 17 wide-spreading severe droughts have hit the country.

A Chinese delegation, headed by Chen Lei, attended the 5th edition of the WWF, the largest water-related event in the world, which attracts 25,000 participants from all over the world, including governments, nonprofit groups, institutions and individuals.

The forum kicked off Monday in the largest Turkish city of Istanbul with the theme of "Bridging Divides for Water" to promote ideas about conserving, managing and supplying water.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2009)