Carnival "Water for Life" and "Water Conservation Week"
Press Release

     The scarcity of water resources is a worldwide ecological problem, yet the reinforcement of awareness on the importance of water resources is one of priorities of the government of Macao Special Administrative Region.

     Therefore, promotion activities "Drinking water and thinking of its source" were held on Saturday within the scope of the carnival "Water for Life" so as to make local population aware on the problem of scarcity of water resources.

     In the same date, the "Water Conservation Week" was started with a series of actives aiming at disclosing Macao's water resources situation and calling on local residents to participate on the water conservation effort.

     These activities organized together by the Promotional Team for Water Conservation; Salinity Response Task Force; and other governmental departments, commenced on Saturday at Tap Seac Square, which included games, drama on environmental issues, dances, quizzes, lucky draws and so on.

     The Promotional Team for Water Conservation has been organizing various activities on the topic "Water for Life" since last year aiming at increasing local inhabitants' awareness on the necessity for water conservation.

     The mainland has supported the increase in water supply so as to respond to a continuous rise of water consumption derived from a fast-growing economy, population, and amount of tourists. The topic "Drinking water and thinking of its source" aims at highlighting the difficulties of water supply and drawing local population's attention for the need of conserving each drop of water.

     The same team also promoted various actions, between 24^th November and 4^th December, as follows:

     - Surveys at schools, residences and hotels so as to assess results of water conservation campaign on 27^th November.

     - Presentation session on 29^th November on exploration of water resources under Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, and on measures for reusing water after being recycled by the wastewater treatment plant at Cross Border Industrial Zone under the umbrella of Infrastructure Development Office.

     - Open day of Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau Laboratory of both Wastewater Treatment Plant and Macao Water, on 2^nd December so as to disclose works on water quality tests, degree of salinity and wastewater treatment.

     - Seminar on "the construction of a society oriented to water conservation" in which local, Hong Kong and national experts and scholars participated so as to reinforce awareness of the whole society on the urgency and absolute need for water conservation.