Xinhua News | Guiyang Nanming River DURWecosystem: A Role Model of Water Environment Management

The 4th International Conference on the Evolution of China Urban Water Environment and Ecology was held in Guizhou, Guiyang from July 8 to 9th, 2022. Experts from the UNEP, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Engineering and universities at home and abroad, as well as business representatives, have had discussions about water ecological protection and urban water environment governance.

The 4th International Conference on the Evolution of China Urban Water Environment and Ecology, 2022

Nanming River, with a total length of 185 kilometers, is the mother river of the locals and an important ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In Guiyang, every time we talk about the flying egrets, the white clouds and the green mountains, we will think of the Nanming River.

Water environment management of drainage basin is a global problem, especially in the Karst areas with poor ecological base flow and land resources.

"I was told that years of treatment have improved the ecological environment of the Nanming River. Now it has truly become a landscape river.” As the representative of the UNEP to China, Tu Ruihe has visited Guizhou for many times. He pointed out that the UNEP attaches great importance to cooperation with China and will support China to play a greater role in regional and global environmental governance. Meanwhile, the UNEP supports the sharing of China's experience and practices.

Zhang Tao, the deputy dean of Chinese Academy of Sciences thinks that the Nanming River’s successful treatment is a great example for the large and medium sized cities in China.

“Rivers and lakes are the blood of our earth and the source of living things.” According to Hu Chunhong, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and vice president of the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, watershed is the most fundamental and distinctive feature of rivers and lakes. To recover their ecology, we should work hard to explore the characteristics of water requirement of ecosystems, formulate standards for ecological restoration, and focus on its potential impact.

In harnessing the Nanming River, enterprises and the government have been troubled by the joint management. As the social capital with strong technical strength, CWEG carried out systematic researches on the current situation and future development of Nanming River, and put forward the concept of “Moderate concentration, on-site processing and recycling", changing the over-concentration of sewage discharge situation. Through overall planning and step-by-step implementation, 21 Underground WWTP have been built and reconstructed along the Nanming River. By using innovative technology, 45% of investment and more than 1000 mu (approx. 66.6 ha.) of land have been saved. Every year, 500 million cubic meters of reclaimed water is used to replenish the Nanming River. With the recovery of ecology, the Nanming River has improved its ecological diversity and its self-purification capacity, so as to establish a healthy and sustainable ecosystem.

"Eight years ago, there was no technical standard for Nanming River’s management. Its successful management benefits from the leadership of the government, the technological support and the participation of the whole nation. Abiding by the rule of law and through mechanism innovation, we can achieve long-term benefits. Hou Feng, director of CWEG, also the vice president of Water Environment and Ecology Council of Chinese Society for Urban Studies, said that the governance of Nanming River is an unprecedented challenge, but it’s also an opportunity to put the team’s years of theoretical results into practices.

"In the past, urban sewage was collected as a pollutant, and then discharged at the edge of the cities. The Nanming River has broken this routine and focused on the scientific collection and resource utilization of waste water to continuously provide water for cities and towns, which saved the costs and improved the water environment." He added.

To realize the value of ecological products is the process of turning their intrinsic value into economic, social and ecological benefits. This year is the ninth year of Nanming River’s management. The river’s ecological restoration has covered 185 kilometers with water quality reaching case-IV for years and case-III for 8 consecutive months. Moreover, it has achieved 100% utilization of water resources and 80% coverage of submerged plants.

During the opening ceremony, the 2021 annual report on “Big Events on the Protection of the Yangtze River” was released and the excellent papers commendation was held. Ren Hongqiang, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, dean of the School of Environment Nanjing University, Xiang Hongxiang, the secretary of the leading Party Group of Guizhou Association for Science and Technology, and Du Lilong, the CEO of China National Complete Plant Import & Export Group Corporation Ltd presented awards to the winners.

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