The total investment in research into urban utilities and landscaping in Guangzhou during 2006 will reach RMB 86.591 million, establishing a new record for the city.

Three projects of the Bureau of Urban Utilities and Landscaping of Guangzhou have been approved and have received financial support totaling RMB 3.4 million for co-operation with overseas Chinese in Australia, Japan and the United States.

Since the 7th Guangzhou Conference of Overseas Chinese Scholars, governmental agencies on urban utilities have begun to look for experts to help solve difficult problems. At the 8th Conference, held at the end of last year, the bureau established three projects, with a total investment of RMB 8.45 million, all of which received primary approval this year and which will begin soon.

A bureau official said that many new technologies have been developed for road construction, wastewater treatment and drinking water projects. The "Digital Urban Utilities" geographical information system, whose research work started in 2004, has recently passed an expert review and has been put into use; the system will be used to improve Guangzhou's administrative information management.
 
Editor: Yan