On October 13, the opening ceremony and plenary session of the World Canals Conference 2026 were held in Guilin. With “Innovation and Perseverance: a Crucial Choice” as its theme, the conference held exchanges on topics including the inheritance of canal civilization, modern canal construction, and green sustainable development. Xiao Jianzhuang, President of Guangxi University, attended the plenary session and delivered a keynote speech titled “Scientific and Technological Breakthroughs and Green Development in the Construction of the Pinglu Canal.”

The report was organized into four parts: canal construction methods, construction challenges, innovation measures, and conclusions and prospects. Xiao Jianzhuang outlined the basic facts of the Pinglu Canal, including its total length of 134.2 kilometers, an estimated project investment of 72.7 billion yuan, and a construction period of 48 months. He noted that the project features a large construction scale, high construction intensity, a tight schedule, and multi-functional demands, and faces multiple challenges, including complex terrain, water-level drops, the pouring of an enormous volume of concrete, large-scale earth and rock excavation, the demolition and reconstruction of a cluster of bridges, and ecological and environmental protection.

The report pointed out that there is no mature precedent to follow in the construction of the Pinglu Canal. It is therefore essential to adhere to systems thinking and a whole-life-cycle approach, coordinate multi-functional needs in navigation, flood control, tourism, and ecology, and ensure that the project construction proceeds in harmony with regional economic and social development. Throughout the construction process, safety should be upheld as the bottom line, low-carbon development as the path, resilience as the guarantee, and green development as the defining feature. The application of digital and intelligent technologies should be strengthened to improve the quality of project construction and the standard of canal operation and management.

The report highlighted the scientific and technological innovation practices in the construction of the Pinglu Canal. Whole-process quality control over concrete production, transport, pouring, and curing, together with mass concrete temperature control technology, is applied to enhance the durability of the hub projects. Bridge dismantling, the recycling of waste concrete, and the use of recycled concrete are carried out to promote the resource utilization of construction solid waste. Measures including digital management of the “excavation–transport–storage–utilization” chain for earth and rock works, ecological bank protection, mangrove restoration, the construction of fish migration passages, and the application of photovoltaics, energy storage, and green transport are adopted to advance the coordinated development of project construction, ecological protection and green energy.

Xiao Jianzhuang stated that it is necessary to further ascertain the geographic and environmental baseline of the Pinglu Canal and formulate spatial management and control plans in advance, so as to ensure the long-term, safe, and efficient operation of the canal, support the high-quality development of Southwest China, and serve the development of the national Belt and Road Initiative.

Representatives from University Administration Office, Development and Planning Office, the Institute of Scientific Research, and the School of Civil Engineering and Architecture of Guangxi University attended the conference.