On June 10, the Joint Research and Demonstration Center for Water Technology (JRDC) Project was awarded Sri Lanka’s Best Water Engineering Project 2020. The JRDC is a China-aided project constructed by the Municipal Engineering Co., Ltd of China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group.

The Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage of Sri Lanka conducted the primary selection for its 37 large-scale water engineering projects. In accordance with the government declaration and national goals, the Ministry of Finance re-evaluated the progress and outcomes of the 37 projects before finally giving the evaluation results in a comprehensive way.

JRDC is the first China-aided technological project in Sri Lanka. After completion, it will become the largest research center for the safety of drinking water in South Asia. It covers a total area of 5,000 square meters and began operation this January. In the future, scientists from both China and Sri Lanka will use JRDC as a platform to engage in cooperation in multiple areas, including the research on the causes of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown etiology (CKDu) and the development of technologies to obtain safe drinking water. JRDC will provide technological support to Sri Lanka in solving problems such as chronic kidney diseases, safe supply of water, and the management of water resources.(By Bu Yi, Li Jinfeng and Wang Peng)