Sichuan and Chongqing river chiefs are conducting a joint patrol on the Qiongjiang River. (Photo/Chongqing Water Resources Bureau)

Chengdu—After five years of establishing a cross-provincial river management system between Chongqing and Sichuan, the achievement proved that China's river chief system plays a key role in river management and protection.

May 8, at a press conference held at Chengdu, Li Shangtao, Deputy Head of Dazhu County in Dazhou City, Sichuan Province, also the local river chief, shared that the Sichuan and Chongqing authorities have tackled six major challenges in terms of cross-provincial river management. One case showed that what used to be a foul-smelling ditch has now been transformed into a beautiful river, added Li, when asked about specific measures taken by Dazhu County to improve the water quality of the Tongbo River, which flows through both Liangping District in Chongqing and Dazhu County in Sichuan.

Li shared that what was once a foul-smelling ditch has been turned into a clean, scenic river—highlighting efforts by Dazhu County to improve the Tongbo River, which runs through both Sichuan’s Dazhu County and Chongqing’s Liangping District.

Sichuan and Chongqing are both located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, playing an irreplaceable role in safeguarding the ecological security of the lower reaches. A total of 81 cross-regional rivers, each with a drainage area of over 50 square kilometers, connect six cities in Sichuan with 12 districts and counties in Chongqing.

In 2020, the two places jointly established the country's first cross-regional joint office for promoting the river chief system in Sichuan and Chongqing. This office is responsible for coordinating efforts in river and lake management planning, pollution control, ecological restoration, and other related tasks across both regions.

Over the past five years, the two regions have made much progress in joint prevention, control, and governance of these shared rivers. The water quality at all 25 cross-regional national monitoring sections has met the required standards—an improvement of four percentage points compared with the period before the joint implementation of the river chief system, according to Tan Xiaoping, Deputy Director of the Sichuan Provincial River Chief Office and Deputy Head of the Sichuan Provincial Water Resources Department, at the conference.

The two sides have also signed the Sichuan-Chongqing Cross-Regional River Joint Prevention and Control Cooperation Agreement, along with more than 100 other agreements under the river and lake chief system. They have convened 125 joint meetings, conducted over 1,200 joint river patrols, and resolved over 6,000 issues.

In joint prevention and governance efforts, Sichuan and Chongqing have carried out over 230 special operations targeting sewage discharge issues and rectifying sewage outfalls discharging into rivers.

The main stream of the Yangtze River in the Sichuan-Chongqing section has maintained Class II water quality on average annually, a level that meets the hygienic standard for drinking water after conventional water purification treatment.

Sanmiao River is a tributary of the Nanxi River. (Photo/Chongqing Water Resources Bureau)

The two regions are developing a digital twin of the Qiongjiang River (Suining section), using modern digital technologies to create a virtual clone of the real river system. It enables real-time monitoring of water levels, water quality, and rainfall, while also using models to simulate future changes in water conditions, providing smart support for flood control, disaster prevention, and water ecosystem protection, Tan highlighted.