The China-Africa Water Forum is a pivotal cooperation platform initiated and run by the China-Africa Water Association (CAWA). Rooted in the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and the Belt and Road Initiative, it serves as a dedicated communication channel for Chinese and African governmental water departments, engineers, scholars and water-related enterprises. Centered on addressing Africa’s prominent water-related challenges, the forum commits to advancing South-South water cooperation and fulfilling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 for universal clean water and sanitation.
Rotated annually between China and African nations, the forum has been held for ten sessions by 2026. It brings together professionals from numerous African countries each year to exchange experience in water resources allocation, drought and flood prevention, drinking water supply, sewage treatment, transboundary river management and climate-resilient water infrastructure. It also showcases China’s mature hydraulic technologies adaptable to African local conditions.
Beyond academic exchanges and seminars, the forum has delivered tangible results. It boosts joint water research, technical training and local talent cultivation, and pushes forward the construction of rural water supply, irrigation and water monitoring projects across Africa. As the most influential specialized China-Africa water event, it effectively eases Africa’s freshwater shortage problems, enhances continental water security, and continuously deepens comprehensive China-Africa friendly partnership in the water sector.