China has unveiled an action plan to protect and create beautiful rivers and lakes from 2025 to 2027, with a focus on improving the quality of aquatic ecosystems, Xinhua reports
The plan, jointly released by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other government organs, sets the goals of achieving notable progress in creating beautiful rivers and lakes by 2030 and completing the initiative by 2035.
In terms of water resources, they should have a stable source of replenishment, good water flow and adequate ecological water use, thus steadily achieving the goal of ‘rivers with flowing water’.
As for water ecology, the ecological functions of water bodies and their buffer zones should be maintained or restored, biodiversity effectively protected, and the return of representative native species ensured, thereby achieving a stable state of ‘rivers with fish and aquatic plants’.
Concerning water environment, pollutant discharge within the basin should be effectively controlled, water quality significantly improved or be consistently excellent, public needs for waterfront landscapes and recreational spaces well met, and ecological concerns raised by the public properly addressed, ultimately achieving ‘harmonious coexistence between people and water’.
The plan aims to promote targeted, science-based and lawful pollution control, co-ordinate the management of water resources, aquatic environments and water ecology, and build an integrated ecological governance system across upstream and downstream areas in key river basins to improve the health of aquatic ecosystems.
The plan outlines 19 specific measures, focusing on consolidating and deepening water environment management, guaranteeing basic ecological water use, and comprehensively advancing protection and construction efforts.
A total of 2,573 water bodies have been included in the national list for protecting and creating beautiful rivers and lakes, covering major river trunks, key tributaries, and important lakes and reservoirs with critical ecological functions, fragile environments, or significant public interest.
