Updates of Water Environment
Governance in china
Zhang
Miaoheng
Senior Engineer /Senior Economist

30 January, 2024
The 19th Annual Meeting in Hayama, Japan1

Content1、Policies and actions for water environment governance
2、Achievements in water environment governance
3、Future plans for water environment governance

The Development History of Water Pollution Prevention and Control inYellow River
protection law

Set up theMinistry ofEcology andEnvironment

Pollutantdischarge
permit systemassessmentof key river
basinstotal quantity
control&TOW
standardS

Three policies
EightEightManagementsystem
Environmental qualitystandards forsurface water

The first
environmental
conference

Yangtze River protection law

National Ecological
Environment Protection
Conference

Ecological and environmental
protection plan for the Yangtze
River Economic Belt

Action plan for waterpollution control

Songhua River andTaihu Lake pollution
incidents

Huai River pollution accident
and prevention plan

Water pollution prevention
and control Law

Environmental protection law

Investigate the pollution ofGuanting reservoir

Governments at all levels
are jointly responsible
3

Total amountcontrol of waterpollutants
Point source governanceStandard emissions

Define goals andresponsibilities
Strict supervision andpunishment
Issue laws and regulations
Formulate emission standards

Tightening emission
standards
Added index（COD、NH3-N）

China

Improve laws andregulations onwater
environment
management

Develop and revise
water pollutant
discharge standards

Improve andstrengthen regulatory
and law enforcement
capabilities and efforts

4

5

6

7

 “subtacion (－) ” : reduce emissions and control pollution

 “addition (＋) ” : restoring water ecosystems

Strengthening the prevention and control of water pollution 长江保护修复攻坚
Protection and restoration of Yangtze River 黄河生态保护治理攻坚

Ecological protection and management of Yellow River 保障饮用水安全Ensure drinking water safety
 提升城市水环境
Improving urban water environment
9Ecological conservation and restoration of rivers and lakes 加强河湖岸线的保护修复Strengthening protection and restoration of the shorelines 开展富营养湖泊治理
Management of eutrophic lakes

10General surface water quality of China
10090

Grade Ⅰ～Ⅲ Percent（%）

80
70
60
50403020
100Year11

Water quality of 7 major river basins in China（2003）

Water quality of 7 major river basins in China（2012）

Water quality of 7 major river basins in China（2022）

12201320220%10%

20%

30%

40%
good（%）

50%60%

bad（%）

Groundwater quality

70%

80%

90%

100%

2022

2013

Urban sewage treatment rate（%）

350.00

0.25

300.000.2
250.000.15

200.00150.000.1

100.00
0.05
50.00

00.00
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
NH3-N（万吨）COD（十万吨）TP（十万吨）GDP（万亿元）Growth rate of GDP（%）

15

Waterresources•

improve the ecologicalflow management
mechanism of rivers andlakes•

strengthen thesupervision of ecologicalflows of rivers and lakes

Waterenvironment• prevent and control water pollution inriver basins,• improve the inspection and treatment
of sewage discharge outlets into rivers
and seas• promote the collection and treatmentof urban sewage• continue to promote the prevention
and control of agricultural and rural
pollution• strengthen the prevention and control
of pollution from ships and ports

Waterecology•••

promote the protection ofwater ecology
strengthen the protectionof water conservation areas
and ecological buffer zones"onshore"
protect aquatic biodiversity"in the water"

16

Policy Research Center for
Environment and Economy，
Ministry of Ecology andEnvironmentwww.prcee.org谢谢!
Thanks for your attention

30 January, 2024
The 19th Annual Meeting in Hayama, Japan17