Guangdong’s river and lake ecological environment will achieve fundamental improvement by 2035

China News Service, Guangzhou, November 9 (Reporter Wang Jian) ​​According to a report from the Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources on the 9th, with the approval of the Guangdong Provincial People's Government, the "Guangdong Provincial Water Resources Protection Plan (2026-2035)" (referred to as the "Plan") was recently issued and implemented. This is the top-level design for Guangdong Province to coordinate the coordinated protection and management of surface water and groundwater. It is also a special plan to achieve the "dual regulation integration" of water resources protection and groundwater protection and utilization. It is expected that by 2035, Guangdong's surface and groundwater resources will be systematically and effectively protected, and the ecological environment of rivers and lakes will achieve a fundamental improvement.

According to the Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources, Guangdong has a large economy and a highly concentrated population. The demand for industrial, domestic and ecological water continues to rise. At the same time, water resources are unevenly distributed in time and space. Local river and lake water ecology is under pressure, and regional water resources supply and demand are prominent. The development, management and restoration of surface and underground water resources urgently require systematic coordination. It is urgent to implement rigid constraints on water resources and improve the water resources protection and governance system in river basins.

The Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources stated that based on the contemporary tasks of water resources protection from 2026 to 2035, and in response to the realistic proposition of "how to protect and make good use of Guangdong's water resources," Guangdong compiled and issued the "Plan", anchoring the two-stage development goals of 2030 and 2035, setting 10 core indicators, and making systematic arrangements for the protection of surface water and groundwater resources in the province.

Water conservancy experts said that the preparation and implementation of the "Plan" is a major measure for Guangdong to resolve outstanding contradictions in water resources protection and promote the intensive and safe use of water resources. It is of great significance to repairing the ecological environment of rivers and lakes, improving the digital and intelligent management and control capabilities of water resources, and improving the province's integrated water resources protection and governance system. It will also provide a practical example for collaborative management and control of water resources in economically developed southern provinces.

The Guangdong Provincial Department of Water Resources stated that it is expected that by 2030, the province's key tasks of water resource protection will achieve phased results; by 2035, the construction of "Water-rich Southern Guangdong" will achieve remarkable results, the level of intensive and safe use of water resources will rise significantly, the water resources protection and governance system in the basin area will be mature and improved, surface groundwater resources will be systematically and effectively protected, and the ecological environment of rivers and lakes will achieve a fundamental improvement.