Professor Zheng Chunmiao of the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo and his team were recently honored with the Groundwater Prize of the 11th Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz International Prize for Water (PSIPW) in Vienna.

The PSIPW, established in 2002 by Saudi Arabia's then-Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, is one of the most influential awards in global water research. It is handed out every two years in five categories: Creativity, Surface Water, Groundwater, Alternative Water Resources, and Water Management & Protection, addressing core issues in the field of water resources.

During the award ceremony, officials like António Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, and Abdulrahman Abdulmohsen AlFadley, Saudi Arabia's minister of environment, water and agriculture, delivered speeches.

They highlighted the pressing need for innovative solutions to tackle the global water crisis and emphasized the significance of interdisciplinary research in safeguarding food production, energy security, ecosystem health, and human well-being.

"This honor not only reflects my personal achievements but also acknowledges the relentless efforts of my research team. Sustainable water resource management is a crucial global challenge. I'm committed to continuing my work in this field and making significant contributions to the sustainable management and utilization of global water resources," said Professor Zheng.

Ambassador Li Song, permanent representative of China to the UN in Vienna, attended the ceremony and congratulated Professor Zheng and the other award-winning Chinese scientific teams.

He emphasized that this achievement marked a significant milestone for Chinese scientists in the field of water innovation and was a matter of pride for all Chinese people.

Professor Zheng, who also serves as vice president of the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, has developed software that supports groundwater contamination remediation projects in more than 100 countries.