The 3rd International Forum on Water Security & Sustainability was held in Nanjing from April 22 to 24, 2021. Hosted by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the forum was co-organized by CAE's Academic Division of Civil, Hydraulic and Architecture Engineering, the Yangtze Institute for Conservation and Development, Hohai University (HHU), Nanjing Hydraulic Research Institute (NHRI) and other organizations.

Experts and scholars from domestic and international institutions in relevant fields gathered for in-depth discussions on water security and sustainability. Participants shared new findings, cutting-edge technologies and experiences in water sciences, fostering effective open interdisciplinary exchanges between researchers and practitioners of water management to build a broader understanding of sustainability and global water security.

The forum featured four sessions: integrated river basin management, climate change and risks, water ecology and water engineering, and water resource protection and utilization. Keynote speeches were delivered by Lei Mingshan, Chairman of the Board of the China Three Gorges Corporation, Jiao Yong, former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Water Resources and member of the Environmental Protection and Resources Conservation Committee of the National People's Congress, Wang Annan, Chief Planner of the Ministry of Water Resources, Zhong Zhiyu, Chief Engineer of the Changjiang Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources, Johannes Cullmann, Director of Cross-Cutting Coordination Water and Cryosphere of the World Meteorological Organization and Joseph Hun-Wei Lee, President of the International Association for Hydro-Environment Engineering and Research as well as 30 members and fellows from science and engineering academies in China, the United States and the United Kingdom, and scholars from renowned academic institutions at home and abroad. Experts and practitioners in relevant fields were also invited for in-depth discussions. Speakers and panelists shared their most recent findings and insights, interpreted from different angles, developing a deeper understanding of water security and sustainability.

Initiated by the HHU and NHRI in 2015, three forums have been held every three years in Nanjing. This year’s session was held online and in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Around 500 experts and scholars attended in person and more than 2,000 from about 20 countries and regions participated via video links.