The International Foundation for the Protection of Drinking Water awarded Wednesday in Beijing more than 80 Chinese people a prize for their efforts to popularizing the concept of "loving water".

Prize winners included Wang Guotai, a senior official with the Information Office of the State Council, Zhao Zhuxiu, a senior journalist with Xinhua News Agency, and Mo Huilan, Olympic gold medal winner.

To popularize this concept, the foundation set up a grand public benefit with the theme of "love a drop of water, love the whole world" at the beginning of 2004.

At the prize awarding ceremony, Robin Seal, director of Intrust Bureau of the foundation, praised China's efforts to organize a series of activities to raise the people's awareness of water resources.