On 30th and 31st May 2006, Hailin City held the City Consultation, when 170 people attended, including representatives from the administrative committee, the people’s congress, national and provincial governments, related administrative branches, representatives from enterprises, educational Institutions, community and social groups, Beijing University, Harbin Institute of Technology, Heilongjiang Institute of Environment, Shenyang and Wuhan cities, ACCA21 and UN-HABITAT. The Consultation was organized in plenary session supported by four small groups for more detailed discussions on proposition papers which recommended that water resource management be strengthened through strategies and action plans as to enhance water catchment protection, store more water, increase investments in wastewater treatment, and increase public awareness for water demand management as the priority.

The City Consultation raised awareness on the urgency for addressing environmental degradation, and the collective responsibility for sustainable development. The Consultation brought out strong political and public support for and full recognition of the importance of inter-sectoral cooperation, agreeing on the establishment of four Working Groups; Valley eco-protection, water exploitation, wastewater treatment, Information & Social propaganda to better address the water resource management issues, and further develop specific strategies and action plans