Chongqing - In a recent nighttime inspection, the Chongqing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau's team reviewed Deyang, Sichuan, before swiftly moving to Chengdu for joint inspections with local authorities. This reflects the ongoing five-year cooperation between Sichuan and Chongqing in southwestern China since 2019.

According to the Chongqing Municipal Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Team for Ecological and Environmental Protection, they inspected more than 3,000 enterprises, resolved over 2,000 issues, prosecuted 150 cases, and publicized 24 landmark cases over this period.

These efforts have effectively curtailed cross-border environmental violations, ensuring high water quality in the Sichuan-Chongqing section of the Yangtze River for seven years and achieving a 100% compliance rate at 25 cross-regional monitoring points.

Joint ecological and environmental law enforcement officers in Sichuan and Chongqing use drones for on-site enforcement. (Photo/Chongqing Municipal Ecology and Environment Bureau)

In collaboration with the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Sichuan and Chongqing governments have created the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle Ecological Environment Protection Plan, which incorporates joint regulatory enforcement into key tasks. Both regions' legislative bodies have passed relevant laws, establishing a legal framework for this collaborative effort.

To enhance coordination, annual joint meetings are held to address enforcement challenges and ensure smooth operations. The two regions have revised the Joint Enforcement Mechanism several times, agreeing on 12 cooperative measures, including routine joint enforcement and unified environmental credit evaluation standards.

Through a joint enforcement mechanism for hazardous waste, environmental, public security, and prosecutorial departments in both regions now share investigation results and follow unified standards. This has improved digital systems, coordinated law enforcement, and enhanced collaboration among legal and environmental agencies.

Reports indicate that Sichuan and Chongqing have conducted joint law enforcement inspections, cross-region checks, and case reviews for two years, including eight Sichuan-Chongqing Joint Law Enforcement Lectures. 19 neighboring cities and districts have participated in joint enforcement efforts throughout the year.

For example, a sudden rise in data from the Tongbo River dam's automatic monitoring station led to a joint inspection by Dazhu County and Liangping District. Ecological and environmental law enforcement personnel from both regions investigated and addressed an agricultural company's improper operation of pollution control facilities.

In the future, Sichuan and Chongqing will continue using joint enforcement to boost information sharing, integrate technological advancements, and improve regional environmental quality.