BEIJING, April 12 (DNA): A Chinese Association will empower China-Pak irrigation cooperation, China Economic Net (CEN) reported it on Monday.

“We have recently established an international cooperation office to facilitate the communication between Chinese and Pakistani companies in irrigation technologies and products.” 

This was stated by Dr. Gong Shihong, Deputy-Director of Department of Irrigation and Drainage, China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR), and Director of Agricultural Water-saving Equipment Division of China Agricultural Water-saving and Rural Drinking Water Supply Technology Association, in an interview with CEN.

The International Office, a department devoted to international cooperation under China Water-saving Association, will serve as a bridge between Chinese and Pakistani irrigation enterprises by exploring the needs of Pakistani people and companies and communicating them to Chinese companies so that they can provide customised irrigation and drainage solutions for Pakistan.

Dr Gong told CEN that enhanced B2B communication between Pakistan and China in this regard can help raise Pakistani people’s awareness of efficient irrigation and further popularise the “more crop per drop” initiative, an efficient irrigation campaign launched by the Pakistani government to grapple with the availability of water resources in agriculture and greeted with limited progress due to technological hurdles and lack of public awareness.

However, current Pak-China cooperation in irrigation has been confined to the national level, and interaction between Chinese and Pakistani enterprises has been scarce, commented Dr Gong.

To reverse this trend, the International Office will arrange for various activities and boost understanding between bilateral companies, which will familarise farmers and industry workers with China’s advanced irrigation technologies and products and better help roll out the “more crop per drop” initiative.

The International Office of China Water-saving Association also seeks to promote Chinese irrigation technologies to Pakistan and other countries and introduce advanced technologies from other countries to China.