China’s Yellow River Sees Big Boost in Water Quality
The Yellow River, known as the “mother river” of China, is flowing cleaner than it has in years. Thanks to comprehensive efforts to tackle pollution and promote sustainable development, the water quality of this crucial river basin has seen significant improvement.
“Through comprehensive management of industrial pollution sources, agricultural diffuse pollution, and domestic pollution, the water quality in the Yellow River Basin has undergone notable improvement,” said Xia Lu, an associate professor at the School of Party History and Party Building and a research fellow at the National Academy of Development and Strategies at Renmin University of China.
The Yellow River Basin is vital for China’s food and energy security. It supplies water to 12 percent of the population in over 50 cities and irrigates 17 percent of the country’s arable land. Improving its water quality has been a national priority.
Effective measures have been implemented to advance the recycling and water-saving retrofitting of urban and industrial water, resulting in a marked enhancement of water resource utilization efficiency, according to Xia.
Traditional industrial bases within the basin have actively pursued transforming and upgrading high-energy-consuming and high-pollution industries, such as coal and chemicals. They are fostering the development of green energy and environmental protection industries.
“By adhering to ecological priority and promoting green and sustainable development, the protection of the Yellow River Basin can be seamlessly integrated with the regional coordinated development strategy,” Xia added.
The Chinese government has highlighted the need to continue improving ecological conservation in the basin. This includes enhancing water source conservation in the upper reaches, strengthening water and soil conservation in the middle reaches, and promoting wetland protection and ecological governance in the lower reaches.
For over 3,000 years, the Yellow River Basin was the cradle of China’s political, economic, and cultural centers. Since ancient times, people have struggled against the flooding of the Yellow River, and its conservation has always been high on the country’s agenda.
