Guangming Daily | Experts Focus on Sustainable Development of Low Carbon, Green Watersheds in Cities

What is an ecologically healthy river? What is a river with improved water quality? What is a truly low-carbon and green watershed? On May 20th, 2023, at the 5th China Urban Water Environment and Water Ecological Development Conference, scholars and experts from home and abroad conducted extensive and in-depth discussions. Qu Jiuhui, president of the Water Environment and Water Ecology Branch of the China Urban Science Research Association and academician of the CAE Member, introduced the basic characteristics of green watersheds with the title "Watershed scanning code - green beyond visual distance". He stated that currently, China's watershed system is undergoing a green transformation towards ensuring water resources, improving water quality, and promoting ecological health. Our goal is also a vision for the future, that is, low-carbon green watersheds beyond our sight should be zero pollution, carbon neutrality, ecological integrity, and digital watersheds, "said Academician Qu Jiuhui.

Academician Qu Jiuhui pointed out that the indicator system and evaluation methods for low-carbon green watersheds are very complex and require extensive scientific research. He emphasized that "moving towards zero pollution" needs to be gradually achieved through policy guidance, industry university research collaboration, and joint efforts from all sectors of society; Emphasizing that "carbon neutrality" will bring about overall and systematic changes in watershed management and governance; It is emphasized that "biological integrity" is the core element of ecological integrity in green watersheds. Academician Qu Jiuhui stated that through the construction of a "digital watershed", diverse digital products and knowledge transformation can be formed, which can make watershed governance more precise and efficient, and gradually achieve intelligent control.

Wang Qiao, an academician of the CAE Member, the International Academy of Astronautics, and a researcher of the Satellite Application Center of the Ministry of Ecological Environment, believes that historic progress has been made in water environment protection in China's river basins, and the physical and chemical indicators of water environment have approached the level of developed countries. However, the problem of imbalance and disharmony remains prominent, with deep-seated issues such as water ecological imbalance, insufficient ecological water use, decreased biodiversity, partial loss of aquatic habitats, degradation of aquatic ecosystem structure and function, increased water ecological risks, and worsening non-point source pollution urgently needing to be addressed. It is urgent to achieve a transition from water environmental quality to water ecological health management.

Academician Qu Jiuhui used international and domestic cases of green watershed construction as references to summarize the common characteristics of green watersheds, namely eliminating pollution, excellent water quality, rich biodiversity, healthy ecosystems, and natural landscapes. At present, there are already exemplary watershed management practices in the world, including the management of the Seine River in France, which is guided by ecological protection and economic development, and is committed to improving water quality and promoting sustainable urban development; The revitalization and renovation of Cheonggye River in South Korea is the largest municipal project in Seoul's 600 year history, and is considered by the world urban planning community as the "true beginning of the 21st century urban revolution"; The Nanming River in Guiyang, Guizhou, China, is the world's first successful practice of urban scale distributed sinking regenerated water ecosystem technology, achieving the governance goal of "clear water, green banks, and shallow bottom fish" in just 8 years.

Watershed management has always been a global challenge, and the management of Nanming River has gone through a difficult process from "worrying about water" to "optimizing water". In order to thoroughly rectify the pollution problem, Guiyang City has introduced a systematic governance approach, adhering to the comprehensive governance of the Nanming River Basin through the integration of the entire basin and its tributaries. The principles of "government leadership, mechanism innovation, legal governance, technological support, public participation, and long-term stability" have been formulated, shifting from "symptomatic" to "fundamental". Nowadays, Nanming River has become a green watershed with good ecology, efficient management, public participation, and technological innovation.

Li Yuanyuan, Vice President of the Water Resources and Hydropower Planning and Design Institute of the Ministry of Water Resources, pointed out that in establishing a modern water governance system, the requirements of basin planning and governance management in the new era must adhere to the concept of basin system and strengthen the "four unifications" of basin: unified planning, unified governance, unified scheduling, and unified management.

The governance of Nanming River has embarked on a path of distributed sinking and regenerated water ecosystem that is suitable for local characteristics. The goal is to create a low-carbon and green watershed through ecological landscape river channels, water resource regeneration and circulation, and collaborative efforts to reduce pollution and carbon emissions. This is also the common goal of urban mother river governance, "said Dr. Hou Feng, Chairman of China Water Environment Group.

Hu Peng, Director of the Water Ecological Environment Research Office at the Water Resources Institute of the China Academy of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, stated that cities should be given civilization, while rivers should be given wildness. In the future, measures should be implemented to improve the functional diversity of river systems and the wildness of rivers, protect wild rivers, provide the closest water quality standards to nature, and protect aquatic biodiversity.