Water is the foundation of survival and the source of civilization, and environmental protection must endorse water!

When one day, water can naturally connect with environmental protection, perhaps we can protect water bit by bit. Returning to reality, what is the situation with the water environment?

According to data from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, from January to December 2021, a total of 3641 national surface water assessment sections were collected, and the proportion of sections with good water quality was 84.9%, an increase of 1.5 percentage points from 2020, meeting the annual water quality target requirements. The proportion of poor Class V cross-sections is 1%, a year-on-year decrease of 1.2 percentage points, and the serious water pollution situation is gradually being eliminated.

However, from the whole to the parts, there are still some urgent water environment problems that need to be solved, and the burden of water is still increasing. In addition to national water conservation, the governance of key river basins such as the Yangtze River and Yellow River this year is one of the key areas for improving water environment.

Since January this year, relevant policies have emerged one after another. From the Action Plan for Promoting the Development of Urban and Rural Construction in the Yangtze River Economic Belt during the 14th Five Year Plan period, to the Comprehensive Management Plan for Water Environment in Key Watersheds during the 14th Five Year Plan period, and to the Implementation Opinions on Strengthening the Supervision and Management of River and Sea Discharge Outlets, and so on.

Environmental protection requires the improvement of water environment in key river basins such as the Yangtze River and Yellow River

1. Various types of discharge outlets such as industrial discharge outlets, urban discharge outlets, and agricultural discharge outlets shall have clear requirements for governance, and shall be banned, cleaned up, merged, and rectified in accordance with the law. Ensure the safety and stability of the water environment in the watershed.

2. Focus on the issue of watershed pollution and coordinate the sewage treatment work in surrounding cities. Fight the battle against black and odorous water bodies in surrounding cities and promote comprehensive management of urban water systems.

3. Improve the efficiency of water resource utilization in industries, agriculture, urban areas, and other areas, and accelerate the formation of water-saving production and lifestyle in important lakes and river basins.

In addition to requirements, there is also a continuous improvement in environmental supervision, which adds a layer of "protective shield" to the water environment.

Anhui: As of February 2022, 272 of the 352 issues reported by the central environmental inspection and three Yangtze River warning films have been rectified. In the investigation and rectification of the discharge outlets of the Yangtze River, investigations were carried out on the discharge outlets of primary and secondary tributaries, and a rectification plan was formulated according to the principle of "one outlet, one policy" for problematic discharge outlets.

Shandong: According to the "Ecological Protection and High-quality Development Plan for the Yellow River Basin in Shandong Province", significant progress will be made in the ecological environment and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin by 2030. For watershed pollution, a special action will be carried out to investigate and rectify the discharge outlets of the main and tributaries of the Han Yellow River Basin. Legitimate and compliant ones will be included in the supervision, illegal and irregular ones will be blocked, and multiple measures will be taken to control internal pollution.

Sichuan: Deyang City has recently increased its law enforcement efforts, established a special law enforcement inspection team, and carried out a special action to address environmental pollution hazards in the watershed. A total of 18 environmental hazards were discovered, and nearly 60 monitoring data were obtained. 18 rectification measures were proposed.

Not long ago, Zhang Xingkai, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, proposed the implementation of a joint prevention and control mechanism for the governance of the Yangtze River Basin, which can achieve information sharing and inspection among various entities in the Yangtze River Basin, and is also helping to accelerate the improvement of the water environment in key river basins from the rear.