A great conclusion for the Global Canal Rowing Action

The annual edition of the Global Canal Rowing Action with the theme of “Global Canal Crossing, Creating a Zero Carbon Future Together” ended last weekend on 18 cities around the world. Cities around the world, such as Yangzhou, China, as the origin city of the Grand Canal, or Cairo, Egypt, joined hands on the same day to promote the canal culture and the concept of low-carbon environmental protection for sustainable development.

The 2021-2022 Global Canal Rowing Action started in September 2021 in Yangzhou City of Eastern China on the Grant Canal, the longest and oldest canal in the world history. The Action, initiated co-organized by the World Historic and Cultural Canal Cities Cooperation Organization (WCCO), an international organization headquartered in Yangzhou, and the Shenzhen Foundation for International Exchange and Cooperation (SFIEC) of China, is aiming to promote the idea of sports health and environmental protection by holding rowing events in canal cities around the world.

Over the past year, the footsteps of the events reached more than 123 canal cities with over 1000 rowers participating from 19 different countries across five continents. It concluded on Sunday on the Nile River, in conjunction with the 27^th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 27) held in Egypt from the 6th to the 18th of November, to highlight the campaign message of “Zero carbon, Zero waste and Clean water”.

On the Nile river in Cairo, World Rowing’s President Jean-Christophe Rolland stressed “the importance of sport being part of the global force fighting for environmental sustainability” in his opening remarks. He also thanked Wang Shi, the initiator of the series of rowing events, for his leadership, which made this worldwide environmental awareness campaign came true.

“The Global Canal Rowing 2022-2023 aims to row through another 100+ canal cities to connect even more people across the world together through this beautiful event.” says Ken Lee, the organiser of the Global Canal Rowing Action and former Secretary General of the Asia Rowing Federation (ARF). The annual finale will take place in Dubai, UAE during the UNFCC COP28 in November 2023.

The event was also attended by the leaders of World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Inland Waterways International (IWI), World Historic and Cultural Canal Cities Cooperation Organization (WCCO), Egypt Youth and Sports Ministry, Egypt Rowing Federation, and Wang Shi, Honorary President of Asian Rowing Federation.

Text and photos thanks to Ken Lee