Wuhan, China (from WASER Net):

On the evening of August 14, a farewell banquet and closing ceremony of the WASER/IAHR-APD/IRTCES Study Tour to the TGP was held in Changhai Hotel of Wuhan city. Prof. Wang zhaoyin gave a summary speech of the Study Tour to the TGP at the closing ceremony.

 

Mr. Chairman

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

 

After 8 days of lecturing, studying, discussing, traveling and visiting, the WASER/IHAR-APD three gorges study tour has come to end of a great success. At this moment I want to share with you what I intend to say the study tour is very successful, very impressive and very influencing.

 

The study tour is successful because our Japanese friends, headed by Prof. Arata Ichkawa, brought their experience in sewage system management, construction solid waste disposal, river simulation modeling, and study results in minamata disease. The study tour is successful because Prof. Joseph Lee and his party presented their study results in red tide, jet flow, flushing time, mariculture and harbor treatment scheme. The study tour is successful because our Iranian, Indian, American and Italian friends introduced their scientific findings in river restoration, scour in contracting section, sediment database, reservoir sedimentation management. The study tour is successful also because Chinese scientists and engineers talked about the progress in the Three Gorges project, ecological management of the Yangtze River, the fluvial process in the Jingjiang River after TGP, physical model study of TGP, water quality of the Yangtze river and the flood defense system of the middle Yangtze River . The study tour is successful also because we have performed benthic invertebrate sampling (we got 1320 invertebrate individuals which represent numerous species), and measured the distribution of dissolved oxygen and temperature in the TGP reservoir during flood season.

 

The study tour is impressive because we have not only exchanged scientific knowledge and engineering experiences but also developed friendship. We visited the TGP dam and the Gezhouba dam. We cruised the Three gorges and the Shennongxi stream. We investigated the shennongjia vergin forest and visited the Tujia village and the caves. We sing and dance together and two of our participants have had wedding ceremony with beautiful Tujia girls.

 

The study tour is influencing because the study tour will be developed into a regular activity of WASER, IAHR-APD and IRTCES. From the preliminary responses of our participants the study tour is assessed perfect and interesting. This is attributed to King Wah David Choi, Rajkumar Raikar, Anna Li Chunying, Mitsuo Yamashita, Wong Ken, Yusef Amirhoseini, Paolo Ronco, Shintarou Matsuda, Mohammad Taklimi, Winnie Leung, Yao Shiming, Huang Li, Yu guoan and Wang Ruiyu for chairing sessions.

 

My heartfelt thanks also go to the four girls: Lisa, Liu Yun, Shi Hongling and Huang Li. They guided the tours and assisted in the arrangement of the living and lecturing during the activity.

 

Finally, I would like to extend my special thanks to Dr. Liu Xiaoying. He has spent several months for preparation of the study tour, he helped everyone for the visa, and coordinated every aspects for the study tour. Without his efforts the study tour could not be organized so successfully.

 

The study tour has finished but the event represents the start of a new era of friendship and cooperation between us. I beg you to convey our friendship, best regards and invitation to your colleagues and friends. I hope to see you and your colleagues and friends during the next study tours. Please encourage your colleagues to join WASER by submitting the application form and join the WASER activities.

Finally I wish you a pleasant journey.

Bon Voyage.

Sayonala

Chao

Good bye.