Brazil’s Ministry of Integration and Regional Development (MIDR) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Beijing with China’s Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) to strengthen technical co-operation and the exchange of knowledge on water management.

The MoU provides for information sharing, joint research, training and technical visits. It covers digital transformation, real-time hydrological monitoring, digital models to support decision-making, infrastructure modernisation, water transfer, basin management, efficient water use, and the management of drought and flood risks.

Activities will be co-ordinated by a Joint Management Committee comprising representatives of both ministries, with support from Brazil’s National Water and Sanitation Agency (ANA). The MoU will remain in force for five years and does not provide for direct financial transfers between the parties.

The agreement was signed during a technical mission by MIDR and ANA, with an agenda running from 12 to 16 October in Beijing and Shanghai. In Beijing, the delegation learned about solutions for digital basin management, water transfer and water reuse.

The programme in Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta includes urban water management and flood control. The mission was scheduled to conclude with a visit to a sponge city project and discussions with the New Development Bank (NDB) on technical co-operation and the financing of water security and sustainable infrastructure projects.

(Source: Federal Government of Brazil, 14 October)