Madrid - The World Expo on water and sustainable development in Zaragoza, which will close on Sunday, was Friday described as a "reasonable success" by the Spanish government.

Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said the three-month event had left an "important legacy" in the northern Spanish city.

Vega put the number of visitors at slightly over 5 million. Organizers had initially expected the Expo to bring 6.5 million people to the city of 650,000 residents.

The Expo is scheduled to present an environmental charter before the closing ceremony on Sunday.

More than 100 countries participated in the Expo which focused on subjects such as the relation between water and life, climate change, and the huge gap between rich and poor countries in the access to clean water.

The first world exhibition in Europe since the 2000 Hannover Expo brought public and private investments worth more than 3 billion euros (4 billion dollars) to Zaragoza.

The shore of the river Ebro was reborn over 18 kilometres, including a water park, cycling paths and leisure boats.

The city has also renovated its infrastructure, ranging from a new airport terminal to a motorway link. A 280-metre pedestrian bridge by Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid and a
78-metres-high Water Tower were built specially for the Expo.

The Expo site measuring 25 hectares will be turned into a commercial and pedestrian zone with museums and restaurants.

Critics said that the pavilions of some countries made the Expo appear a tourism fair, and that Spain's own water policies were too wasteful for it to organize such an event. (dpa)