The 2015 World Hydropower Congress has opened in Beijing, China, with 1,000 representatives of government, civil society, finance, academia and industry gathering to discuss the future direction of the sector.
On the morning of the opening day, high-level representatives of the congress delegations gathered at Yanqi Hotel State Guest House for the Hydropower Consutative Council. The meeting brought together key figures from government, academia, civil society, finance and industry to discuss strategies for the hydropower sector.IHA president Ken Adams officially opened the congress with a speech to packed hall of delegates, saying that “if we are to meet the challenges of a changing climate and global freshwater management, the contribution of hydropower and the multiple benefits it provides cannot be ignored”.The second part of the opening ceremonies featured a high-level panel of speakers to discuss international collaboration and hydropower development. The panel included Jin-Yong Cai, president and CEO of the International Finance Corporation. He said: “Middle income and large emerging economies are influencing the development of hydropower worldwide through demonstration effects – by showing how these projects can be managed well to the benefit of their populations.”
