China to consolidate environmental protection of Yangtze River basin

BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- China has issued an action plan to further advance the ecological and environmental protection and restoration of the Yangtze River basin.

By the end of 2025, the overall water quality of the basin should remain sound, and the water quality of the main stream should stay at Grade II in the country's five-tier water quality system, according to the action plan jointly issued by 17 government authorities.

The action plan has also set the goal of continuously improving the safety of drinking water, effectively guaranteeing the ecological water use of important rivers and lakes, and significantly raising the quality of water ecology of the basin by the end of 2025.

Efforts will be strengthened in various fields, including urban sewage and waste treatment, pollution prevention and control for ships and ports, the restoration of aquatic biodiversity, and water conservation and management for green development, among others, according to the plan.

China has made notable achievements in improving the ecological quality of the region over the past years.