Original title: continue to strive for beauty and strive to draw a new picture of harmonious and beautiful Huaihe River
In May 2019, the Huaihe River Basin Ecological Environment Supervision and Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Ecological Environment (hereinafter referred to as the Huaihe River Basin Bureau) was officially inaugurated. Standing in retrospect, five years of youth, Huaihe River Basin Bureau adheres to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly implements Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization and the spirit of the National Ecological Environment Protection Conference, resolutely implements the work requirements of the Party Leadership Group of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, continues to deepen the battle against pollution, and promotes the continuous improvement of water ecological environment quality in the basin. In 2020, the overall water quality of the Huaihe River Basin will change from slightly polluted to good, and remain so far. In 2023, the proportion of national control sections with excellent water quality in the basin will reach 84.3%, 8.2 percentage points higher than the goal of the 14th Five Year Plan.
Overall planning of the river basin to promote new achievements in the protection and management of the Huaihe River
Strengthen planning guidance and build a new pattern of "three water coordinated" system governance. The Huaihe River Basin Bureau insists on taking the preparation and supervision of the plan as an important starting point, takes the lead in organizing the preparation of the "14th Five Year Plan" for the protection of the water ecological environment of the Huaihe River Basin, establishes a regular scheduling mechanism for the implementation progress of the key points of the basin plan and local and municipal plans, and promotes the implementation of the plan. Make great efforts to embroider, comprehensively and systematically assess the implementation of key points of water ecological environment protection planning in Lu'an, Anhui, Shangqiu, Henan and other places, dissect sparrows, summarize experience, transmit pressure and promote implementation. Strengthen the overall management of "three water", focus on the prominent problems of pollution in the basin during the flood season, comprehensively use the "four step method" of prediction and early warning, pre flood supervision, measurement and management linkage, guidance and assistance, compact the local pollution control responsibility, and promote the improvement of water quality in the basin during the flood season for three consecutive years; Pay close attention to the ecological flow guarantee of key rivers and lakes, strengthen information sharing with the Huaihe River Water Resources Commission of the Ministry of Water Resources, timely communicate and coordinate, and implement regulatory requirements. In 2023, 97.1% of the 34 sections of 17 key rivers and lakes in the basin will reach the ecological flow guarantee standard; Select the main and tributaries of the Huaihe River and Hongze Lake and other important lakes to carry out water ecological investigation and monitoring, study and propose the water ecological evaluation index system of the Huaihe River basin and carry out pilot evaluation, so as to lay a good foundation for the next water ecological assessment.
Strengthen responsibility, and highlight the water quality security of the east route of the South to North Water Transfer Project. The Huaihe River Basin is the source area and main flow area of the eastern route of the South to North Water Transfer Project. From the political height of guarding the lifeline, the Huaihe River Basin Bureau strengthened the control and protection of the South Four Lakes and other important lakes along the east route of the South to North Water Transfer Project, organized the ecological environment departments of Shandong, Jiangsu, Anhui and Henan provinces and the people's governments of eight prefectures and cities to establish a joint prevention and control mechanism for the control and protection of the water ecological environment of the South Four Lakes basin, established a notification system for important matters, and held a plenary meeting every year, Examine and issue the annual work plan, promote the implementation of key work, and realize the "two wheel drive" of basin planning and regional implementation. Major steps have been taken in the unified management and control requirements. In accordance with the principle of "unified preparation, separate approval, and provincial implementation", four provinces have been organized to issue the integrated discharge standards for water pollutants in the Nansihu Lake basin with unified pollutant discharge limits, making it the first basin type integrated discharge standard led by the state and issued in the form of local standards, To set an example for the comprehensive management of trans provincial river basins across the country. Significant phased results have also been achieved in key tasks such as aquaculture pollution prevention and control, withdrawal of coal mining enterprises in the lake area, construction of artificial wetland water quality purification project, pilot treatment of urban initial rainwater pollution, investigation and treatment of sewage outlets, and pollution prevention and control of ships and ports. Since the establishment of the joint prevention and control mechanism three years ago, the proportion of national control sections with excellent water quality in the South Four Lakes basin has increased from 84.2% in 2021 to 100%, and the water quality of the main water transmission line during the water transfer period of the East Route of the South to North Water Transfer Project has remained stable at Class III and above.
Strengthen problem orientation and promote the solution of outstanding water ecological environment problems. Deepen the working mechanism of problem finding and promoting solution, conduct monthly analysis and consultation on the water ecological environment situation of the basin, strengthen independent investigation and traceability analysis, and urge the local authorities to implement the main responsibility of pollution control. In the past five years, 118 on-site investigations have been carried out on the deterioration of water quality at the state-controlled section and the abnormal operation of the sewage treatment facilities in the industrial park. Independent investigations have been launched on 11 outstanding problems. Relevant information has been fed back to the local government and rectification has been urged. So far, 9 problems have been cancelled. Focusing on the prominent ecological and environmental problems around the masses, since 2020, more than 1000 water bodies have been checked on the spot, 85 urban black and odorous water bodies have been found and reported, and the black and odorous water bodies have been promoted to be clean for a long time. Adhere to the principle of determining the bank by water and coordinating land and water, strengthen the supervision and management of sewage outlets into the river, prepare a plan for the division of the scope of approval of the Huaihe River Basin Bureau, which will be issued and implemented by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, examine and approve applications for the establishment of sewage outlets into the river within the scope of authorization according to law, and guide the five provinces in the basin to comprehensively promote the investigation and rectification of sewage outlets into the river. Actively carry out the supervision of soil and agricultural rural ecological environment protection. Since 2022, a total of 43 people (times) have been organized to investigate and evaluate the rural environment improvement in 94 counties and districts in Shandong, Anhui and Henan provinces and the safe use of contaminated farmland in one county. Promote the environmental supervision of watershed tailings ponds. Since 2021, 99 tailings ponds have been spot checked, and more than 300 environmental problems of various tailings ponds have been found, which have been timely fed back to local authorities and urged to be rectified. Strengthen environmental assessment and pollution discharge permit supervision, conduct on-site research on the implementation of 18 major construction projects and special plans such as the Yangtze River to Huaihe River, urge the implementation of ecological and environmental protection measures, and improve the effectiveness of source prevention and process control.
Strengthen support and guarantee, and improve the ecological environment supervision capacity of the basin. Give full play to the supporting role of monitoring and scientific research, cooperate with water conservancy, meteorology and other departments to establish and improve the water quality, hydrology and meteorology information sharing mechanism of the basin, grasp the water quality status of key sections in real time, carry out water pollution early warning, environmental emergency and other work accurately and scientifically, and achieve effective joint disposal of measurement and management. Establish a joint prevention, control and consultation mechanism for water pollution emergencies in the river basin, strengthen the cooperation of upstream and downstream, left and right banks, and cross departments in prevention and control, timely carry out consultations according to water and rain conditions and water quality information every flood season, and strengthen early warning notification. In the past four years, 19 early-warning messages have been sent to all regions. A total of 151 people (times) were selected to participate in the central ecological environment protection supervision, the Yangtze River and Yellow River ecological environment warning film shooting, the blue sky defense war, the industrial park and the urban black and odorous water body coordinated and strengthened supervision and assistance, and other special work. Adhering to the principle of learning by doing and practicing by doing, cadres and workers have been trained and improved in their ability to perform their duties.
Anchoring goals, writing a new chapter of the beautiful Huaihe River in China
In December 2023, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council issued the Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Construction of a Beautiful China, which defined the timetable and construction drawings for comprehensively promoting the construction of a beautiful China. The construction of a beautiful China has ushered in the acceleration phase of building a strong momentum, comprehensively advancing, and promoting the modernization of harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The Huaihe River is an important link between the Yangtze River and the Yellow River, the Yangtze River Delta and the central region. It is necessary to focus on the regional coordinated development strategy and major regional strategies, deeply understand and accurately grasp the mission and task of the river basin ecological environment regulatory agency in building a beautiful China, actively promote the construction of "beautiful series" in the river basin, and support high-quality development with high-quality ecological environment.
Supervise the implementation of the 14th Five Year Plan and get results. On site supervision and research on the implementation progress of the key points of watershed planning and prefecture city planning, precise guidance and assistance were carried out, and during the "14th Five Year Plan" period, the supervision on the implementation of the key points of planning in 45 prefecture cities within the watershed was fully covered, so as to promote all regions to complete the planning objectives and tasks with high standards. The mid-term evaluation of the "14th Five Year Plan" was carried out in a solid way, and key cities were selected to comprehensively sort out the progress of planning tasks, summarize and promote typical experience and practices, provide reference for solving common problems of water ecological environment in the basin, and plan ideas and measures for water ecological environment protection in the Huaihe River basin during the "15th Five Year Plan".
Promote the steady improvement of water ecological environment quality in the basin. Focusing on such key sections as unstable water quality of provincial boundary rivers and increased pollution in flood season, we will further improve the information sharing mechanism, make in-depth analysis, research and judgment on the situation of fine water ecological environment, strengthen guidance, assistance, tracking and supervision, and promote the solution of bottleneck problems that restrict the sustainable improvement of water ecological environment. Guide local governments to strengthen water pollution control in flood season, and promote new breakthroughs in urban and rural non-point source pollution control. Guide and supervise county-level cities in the basin to carry out the renovation of black and odorous water bodies, consolidate and improve the governance effect of prefecture level cities, actively participate in the research and assessment of rural environmental renovation, and spare no effort to protect the clean water at the "gate" of the people.
Guarding the east route of the South to North Water Transfer Project, "Yihong Qingshui" will be sent to the north. Give full play to the role of the platform of the joint prevention and control mechanism of the South Four Lakes, continue to promote the implementation of the comprehensive discharge standard of water pollutants in the South Four Lakes basin, aquaculture pollution control, investigation and rectification of substandard tributaries, construction of rivers and wetlands into the lake and other key tasks, carry out regular supervisory monitoring, and ensure that the water quality in the South Four Lakes basin and the east route of the South to North Water Transfer is stable and up to standard.
Promote the protection and construction of beautiful rivers and lakes. A total of 307 rivers and lakes in the Huaihe River basin have been included in the National Protection and Construction List of Beautiful Rivers and Lakes, which defines the requirements for protection and construction. It is necessary to guide and help local governments to anchor the goal of achieving a completion rate of about 40% of beautiful rivers and lakes by 2027, and the basic completion of beautiful rivers and lakes by 2035, refine the practical work arrangement, vigorously promote the protection and construction of beautiful rivers and lakes, carry out ecological protection and restoration of rivers and lakes according to local conditions, create a beautiful model of rivers and lakes with basin characteristics, and strive to meet the people's water affinity needs.
In the new era and on the new journey, Huaihe River Basin Bureau should focus on the main responsibility of ecological environment supervision in the basin, implement the requirements of building an iron army for ecological environment protection, strengthen the leadership of party building, vigorously promote the wind of investigation and research, consolidate the foundation, remedy the weak points and strengths, guide cadres and staff to comprehensively improve their ability to perform their duties, and strive to be a good defender of ecological environment protection with good style and excellent skills.
（ Liu Hui, The author is the secretary of the Party Leadership Group and director of the Huaihe River Basin Ecological Environment Supervision and Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Ecological Environment)
