Over 200 experts, scientists, and entrepreneurs from around the globe 🌍 gathered on Monday in the charming port city of Bydgoszcz, northern Poland, for the World Canals Conference 2024. This isn’t just any conference—it’s a celebration of waterways connecting cultures and history!
This year's event coincides with the 250th anniversary 🎉 of the Bydgoszcz Canal, Poland's oldest navigable inland waterway. Last weekend, the canal drew in crowds eager to celebrate this monumental milestone.
The conference theme? \"Challenges between Ecology and Economic Use – Sustainable Revitalization of Canals Focusing on Nature.\" 🌱⚙️ It's all about finding the balance between preserving nature and promoting economic growth through our waterways.
\"Water connects all of us and holds immense value. We have so much to learn from each other globally,\" shared Sharon Leighton, president of Inland Waterways International (IWI). Truly, water knows no borders!
Wang Huijun, deputy secretary-general of the World Historic and Cultural Canal Cities Cooperation Organization, emphasized the conference's global impact: \"Canal cities around the world share their successful experiences and promote mutual understanding.\" 🤝
He also highlighted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of China's Grand Canal being listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site 🏛️, adding that the conference helps international attendees better understand and appreciate this magnificent waterway.
David Edwards-May, editor-in-chief of IWI, reminisced about his adventures in Yangzhou and Hangzhou, China 🇨🇳. \"It was fascinating to see the barges constantly moving under the famous old bridges. It's a source of pride for Chinese engineers how they have balanced modern inland water transport infrastructure with heritage preservation and environmental conservation,\" he said.
During the conference, which runs from Monday through Wednesday, Cheng Hao, chairman of Grand Tour Education Technology, proposed launching a \"World Canal Cities Research and Learning Cloud Platform.\" 🌐💡 He believes that canals worldwide are rich in cultural history, science, technology, and lifestyle insights. Cheng hopes that digital empowerment will enable young people to explore canals across different countries.
Aside from the insightful discussions and presentations, participants enjoyed a relaxing cruise 🚢 on the Bydgoszcz Canal and visited the Canal Museum to soak in the unique water culture of Bydgoszcz.
Fun fact: Since 1988, the World Canals Conference has been held over 30 times, with notable sessions in Yangzhou, China, in 2012 and 2019. Who knows where it will sail to next? 😉
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
