The Dali Project of the Group Appeared on CCTV＇s CCTV News and Morning News: From Governance of One Lake to Governance of Ecology

On August 24, the headline of CCTV News of CCTV broadcast "The governance of Erhai Lake from the governance of one lake to the governance of ecology, and the report ofThe high-quality development research trip·Yunnan of CCTV Morning News focused on the protection and governance of Erhai Lake in Dali, Yunnan, and the transformation fromthe governance of one lake to the governance of river basins and the governance of ecology.

As a key link in the protection and treatment of Erhai Lake, the Dali Erhai Lake Environmental Protection Project of China Water Environment Group prevents a single drop of sewage from flowing into Erhai Lake. Relying on thedistributed undergroundreclaimed water system, six undergroundreclaimed water plants have been built around Erhai Lake, resembling a beautiful pearl necklace, achieving full collection and nearby treatment of domestic sewage, and 100% reuse of reclaimed water, paving the way for high-quality and sustainable development of comprehensive water ecological environment management.

Present Xi emphasizes that we must protect the ecological environment like protectingour eyes, and in terms of ecological environment protection, we must calculate the big account and long-term account.

In the past decade, bearing in mind the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, around the protection and governance of Erhai Lake and the transformation and development of the basin, the local area has shifted from one lake governance to basin governance and ecological governance, and has embarked on a high-quality and sustainable development path of comprehensive management of water ecological environment.

Erhai Lake, located in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, is a highland pearl with a lake area of 252 square kilometers. It is the second largest plateau freshwater lake in Yunnan and is also known as the mother lake of the Dali people.

In the scorching summer, on the surface of Erhai Lake in Dali, Yunnan, a series of seaweed flowers bloom on the water, attracting a large number of tourists to come and check in. More than twenty years ago, Erhai Lake experienced several large-scale outbreaks of blue-green algae due to declining water quality, and seaweed flowers were difficult to find in Erhai Lake. After years of watershed management, the water quality of Erhai Lake has remained stable and at an excellent level in recent years, providing favorable conditions for the large-scale growth of seaweed flowers.

Kong Hainan, Director of the River and Lake Environmental Technology Development Center at Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Seaweed flowers are commonly known as water quality indicator organisms. Places with seaweed flowers must have water of Class III or above. On the other hand, seaweed flowers will further purify the water quality, forming a virtuous cycle.

The water source of Erhai Lake has been protected, providing important guarantees for the overall improvement of Erhai Lake water quality. The Erhai Lake Basin has a total area of over 2500 square kilometers and a permanent population of nearly 1 million. Last year alone, the number of tourists visiting Dali reached nearly 100 million. In order to cope with the large amount of production and household waste, as well as the threat of sewage to the ecological protection of Erhai Lake, the governance of Erhai Lake follows the concept of recycling and renewability, and has built a strong pollutant interception defense line.

China Water Environment Group Wanqiao UndergroundReclaimed Water Plant

CCTV reporter Li Kejing

Less than 50 meters behind me is Erhai Lake, which has a beautiful environment and lush greenery. However, there is actually a undergroundreclaimed water plant hidden 15 meters below my feet. Standing here, it feels like entering a huge maze with spacious workshops and dense pipelines, but there is almost no smell of sewage

China Water Environment Group Wanqiao UndergroundReclaimed Water Plant

Peng Caiyun, Investment Director of China Water Environment Group

This Wanqiao Reclaimed Water Plant located on the Erhai Lake covers an area of more than 40 acres and processes approximately 10,000 tons of production and domestic sewage from more than 100,000 people in two towns in Dali every day. After treatment and purification, some indicators of the reclaimed water can meet the Class III water quality standards for surface water. These reclaimed water are not directly discharged into Erhai Lake, but are transported through pipelines for mountain greening and agricultural irrigation. They can be used for sanitary water and sanitary greening. Currently, six undergroundreclaimed water plants have been promoted and built in the entire Erhai Lake Basin, and through sewage purification technology, they intercept an average of more than 2000 tons of various organic pollutants per year

The governance and protection of Erhai Lake, which aims to reduce pollution, turn waste into treasure, and promote recycling, is not only a reflection of the concept of green and sustainable development, but also a consideration under the pressure of reality.

In addition to the nearly one million people living in 18 townships and streets in the Erhai Lake Basin, the number of tourists visiting Dali reached nearly one billion last year alone. How to cope with the ecological and environmental pressure caused by the large amount of household waste and sewage on Erhai Lake?

A blueprint and unified plan have been established at the Erhai Lake Protection and Management and Basin Transformation and Development Command Center. Over 5700 kilometers of sewage pipelines, 20 recycled water plants, and 25 organic waste collection stations have been built in the Erhai Lake Basin, achieving full coverage and collection of sewage and garbage, weaving a huge ecological protection network for Erhai Lake.

Xiong Zhonghua, Head of the Comprehensive Coordination Group of the Dali Erhai Lake Protection and Management and Basin Transformation Development Command

Following the concept of comprehensive treatment and coverage, we have incorporated the entire 256 square kilometers of the Erhai Lake Basin into a unified protection and management system. This is a transition from one lake governance to basin governance, and then from basin governance to ecological governance, basically building a governance system for the entire Erhai Lake Basin.

The water in Erhai Lake is cleaner and the environment is more beautiful. The results of protection are constantly being transformed into productivity in the scenery and a sense of happiness between mountains and waters.

Surrounded by 129 kilometers of scenery along the way, if tired, you can stop and taste a cup of Yunnan's local small grain coffee, enjoying a life called Yunnan.

Du Jie, a young man of the Bai ethnic group born in the 1990s, grew up by the Erhai Lake. Three years ago, he opened a coffee shop by the Erhai Lake Ecological Corridor, and the beautiful scenery of the ecological corridor became the traffic code of the coffee shop. The business in the shop was booming and often hard to find. But looking back a few years ago, when buildings within a 15 meter radius of Erhai Lake needed to be demolished and the land vacated for the construction of an ecological corridor around the lake, he and many other villagers born and raised along the Erhai Lake did not understand this.

Du Jie, a villager from Xiamo North Village, Taihe Street, Dali City, Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture

At that time, the whole village didn't understand why we had to demolish this house, but at this moment, we villagers finally understand because the first priority is to protect Erhai Lake. The better the water, the better the income for everyone in our village. After they came out to eat, they were lucky to take a walk

Now the 129 kilometer ecological corridor around Erhai Lake is dotted with various lakeside buffer zones and wetlands, building a physically isolated ecological green barrier for Erhai Lake and protecting it, which has become the consensus of local villagers.

Erhai Lake is clear, Dali is prosperous. With the continuous promotion of ecological governance in Erhai Lake, Dali, with its beautiful mountains and clear waters, is constantly polishing the beautiful business card of ecology and promoting the high-quality development of the cultural and tourism industry.

Lu Xujun, Deputy Governor of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture

The excellent ecology represented by the beauty of Erhai Lake is attracting a continuous stream of domestic and foreign tourists to Dali for leisure and experience. The effectiveness of Erhai Lake protection and governance is transforming into productivity in the scenery and a sense of happiness between mountains and waters