The 18th World Water Congress was launched in Beijing on September 11. This important event saw nearly 600 international delegates from more than 60 countries, along with over 130 international organizations and groups focused on water issues. Additionally, almost 700 experts from China's water resources industry attended. Mr. Li Guoying, Minister of Water Resources, P.R. China, attended to the Congress opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech.

The opening ceremony had two parts. In the first part, hosted by Liu Weiping, Vice Minister of Water Resources, P.R. China, several notable figures, including Li Yuanyuan, President of the IWRA; Liu Yuhui, Vice Mayor of Beijing; Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; Maria Helena M.Q. Semedo, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Magnus Johannes Heunicke, Danish Minister of Environment; Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Public Works and Housing of Indonesia; Khamraev Shavkat, Minister of Water Resources of Uzbekistan; and Loïc Fauchon, President of the World Water Council, spoke. They offered their congratulations for the Congress and shared their expectations for the Congress in China.

The second part of the opening ceremony was led by Callum Eric Clench, Executive Director of IWRA, along with the Congress introduction by Renée Martin-Nagle and Shi Qiuchi, Co-Chairs of the International Scientific Committee. In this part, Li Guoying, Minister of Water Resources, P.R. China; Li Yuanyuan, President of IWRA; and Gabriel Eckstein, former President of IWRA, presented awards to Academician Xia Jun, Professor Olcay Unver, and Dr. Lindsey Blodgett. Academician Xia Jun also gave an interesting lecture.

After the opening ceremony, the delegates visited the exhibition tour. The exhibition focused on the theme of the Congress and China's achievements and experiences in water management. There are 8 sections of the exhibition, including water science and technology, smart water management, China's achievements in water governance, unconventional water sources, surveying and design consulting, water infrastructure construction and management, technological equipment, and international exhibitors. Among them, the China's Achievements in Water Governance Exhibition is one of the important exhibitions, showcasing China's achievements in flood control, water supply, irrigation, water resources management, water ecosystem protection and restoration, progress in water science and technology, and international cooperation in water conservancy. A total of 88 units participated in the exhibition, including 71 domestic units and 17 foreign units. The exhibition hall also had a special area for the display of high-quality and representative academic papers from around the world.