Action plan outlines full protection, construction of beautiful rivers, lakes by 2035

China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment unveiled an action plan for the protection and construction of beautiful rivers and lakes on Wednesday, charting a path for improving the country's water ecology and environment.

"The document marks another comprehensive initiative to protect China's water ecosystems following the action plan for prevention and control of water pollutions in 2015, and is therefore considered a milestone," said Liu Jing, deputy director of the ministry's department of water ecology and environment.

"It is characterized by a shift from an exclusive focus on the water environment to the integrated management of water resources, environment, and ecology," added Liu.

"A beautiful river or lake is one where the ecological flow is maintained so that it never runs dry. Besides, the ecological functions of the water bodies and their surrounding buffer zones are preserved or restored, and biodiversity is effectively protected," said Liu.

"Moreover, pollutant emissions within the watershed are well-managed, and the water quality has fundamentally improved or maintained excellent levels. And the public's needs for scenic views and recreational activities by the water are met," she added.

In terms of protecting and restoring water ecology, the plan calls for conserving aquatic life, implementing comprehensive measures to manage eutrophication in lakes and reservoirs, enhancing habitat restoration and oversight, and strengthening flood control and drainage management.

It mandates that surveys on water ecology should be carried out across the previously identified 2,573 rivers and lakes. In addition, efforts should be boosted to enhance the protection of water substrates and surrounding environments, as well as to scientifically adjust the structures of biological communities to enhance the diversity, stability, and sustainability of river and lake ecosystems.

Furthermore, critical habitats for aquatic life should be protected by constructing fish passage facilities, enhancing habitat connectivity, and restoring spawning grounds, to meet the needs of aquatic life and waterbirds during key life stages, such as reproduction and growth, according to the plan.

By 2027, the integrity of aquatic life in the Yangtze River Basin will have improved, and the declining trend in aquatic biodiversity in the Yellow River Basin will have been initially curbed, it requires.

As part of the vision for building a beautiful China, China has made significant progress in improving its water quality. In 2024, the proportion of surface-water sections nationwide classified as having excellent water quality reached 90.4 percent, marking the first time this figure has exceeded 90 percent.

The water quality of the main stream of the Yangtze River, the longest waterway in China, has maintained Grade II for five consecutive years, the second-highest level in the country's five-tier water quality system. And the main stream of the Yellow River, the second longest, has done so for three consecutive years.

The newly released action plan targets a 40 percent completion rate for the development of beautiful rivers and lakes by 2027, significant progress by 2030, and full completion by 2035.