Reference Message Network reported on June 19 that the website of the French newspaper Les Échos published a report dated June 16 written by journalist Raphael Balenieri, titled "Controlling Pollution in the Yangtze River is a Daunting Task in China." The report is compiled as follows: This is a county built against a mountain. The Yangtze River cruise ship passes through here, sailing on the winding river. On this beautiful early summer day, the cruise ships at Wushan wharf are full of tourists. The town of Wushan, located in the southwest of China, is nestled in the spectacular gorges of the Yangtze River, Asia's longest river. Next to it, several brightly colored and uniquely styled small blue boats are also waiting to set sail. Since 2003, Wushan has equipped itself with a fleet of dozens of garbage-clearing boats. Their mission is to clean up the Yangtze River, setting out every day to "catch" garbage polluting the river, including plastic, branches, wood chips, and so on. From May to October each year, during the flood season, monsoon rains bring all kinds of urban and mountain waste into the Yangtze River. Thanks to the automatic filtration systems installed on board, this pollution control project processes more than 20,000 tons of garbage annually. Wushan County invests millions of yuan in special funds each year for the management of the 55-kilometer stretch of the main stream of the Yangtze River under its jurisdiction. Twenty years after the launch of this massive project, Wushan County is beginning to reap the benefits of its efforts. According to China's water quality standards, the main section of the Yangtze River in Wushan has maintained Class II standards for eight consecutive years, and total phosphorus concentration has decreased for 11 consecutive years. China has more than 1,500 rivers with drainage areas exceeding 1,000 square kilometers and seven major river systems. Therefore, addressing water pollution is crucial for China. It is understood that the Yangtze River basin holds 35% of China's water resources. More than 400 million people live along the 6,300-kilometer-long Yangtze River. According to data from the World Wildlife Fund, the Yangtze River basin provides more than half of the country's freshwater fish and two-thirds of rice production. Over the past 40 years, rapid urbanization and rapid economic development have had a significant impact on the natural ecosystems of the Yangtze River basin. However, the problems extend beyond the Yangtze River. According to an article published in Nature in 2014, water pollution across China results in a large amount of unusable water resources each year. Against this backdrop, China has continuously increased its efforts to manage the Yangtze River since the new century. In 2002, China promulgated the Water Law of the People's Republic of China, marking an important turning point in China's water governance. Subsequently, in 2015, China set phased goals: by 2020, the overall proportion of excellent water quality (reaching or better than Class III) in the seven key basins should reach over 70%, and by 2030, the overall proportion of excellent water quality in the seven key basins nationwide should reach over 75%. To achieve this, China has taken a series of effective measures: closing down polluting enterprises along the river, phasing out old coal-fired ships, appointing 300,000 local officials nationwide as "river chiefs"... In 2021, China also implemented a ten-year ban on commercial fishing in the main channel of the Yangtze River and its major tributaries. Wei Wei, director of the Wushan Environmental Monitoring Station, said, "In Wushan, no industrial enterprises are allowed within 5 kilometers of the Yangtze River bank." In Yichang, factories once built along the river have been relocated, and the original sites have been converted into parks where citizens often walk their dogs and practice tai chi. Officials from Hubei Province stated that by 2024, the province had completed the relocation or transformation of more than 470 chemical enterprises along the river, and reclaimed nearly 150 kilometers of shoreline. Yu Guodong, director of Chongqing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau, said, "After the ban on fishing in the main channel of the Yangtze River, 47 additional species of fish were detected." (Translated/Mao Zhuo) [Image: https://p3-sign.toutiaoimg.com/tos-cn-i-axegupay5k/a8a2ea2b78924afcb119f0d5a3b12697~tplv-tt-origin-web:gif.jpeg?_iz=58558&from=article.pc_detail&lk3s=953192f4&x-expires=1750935561&x-signature=UxLRGRzS%2B17kNjjLXXBiAgPPkbg%3D] On June 11, a ship sailed through the Wushan section of the Yangtze River. (Xinhua News Agency) Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7517590536544190991/ Disclaimer: This article solely represents the author's viewpoint. Please express your opinion by clicking the "thumbs up/thumbs down" buttons below.