Xinhua Daily:

I understand that the water quality of Taihu Lake last year reached its best level since 2007. Could you please introduce Jiangsu's efforts to advance ecological conservation of Taihu Lake and its plans going forward? Thank you.

Fang Wei:

The ecological condition of Taihu Lake has attracted widespread public attention, and improving the lake is Jiangsu's due responsibility. Since 2007, the Jiangsu provincial government has invested a total of 34 billion yuan, mobilizing over 300 billion yuan from various levels of government within the province and the private sector. Nearly 8,000 lake harnessing projects have been implemented here, and the ecological environment has seen significant improvements after 15 years of efforts. Monitoring statistics in several indicators, including total phosphorus level, nitrogen density, occurrences of algal blooms, occurrences of blue-green algae and its maximum coverage, reached their best levels since 2007. For example, the lake's phosphorus level stood at 0.052 mg/L and nitrogen was 1.09 mg/L, down by 48% and 61%, respectively, compared with the year 2007. As a result, in the first half of last year, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment rated Taihu Lake as "good" for the first time. Currently, the lake is undergoing a new round of comprehensive harnessing projects. Our goal is to bring about a qualitative change in the lake's ecological environment within the next decade, transforming it into a world-class ecological and innovation lake area.

The harnessing of lakes has always been a global challenge, especially when it comes to large, shallow ones like Taihu Lake. The Taihu Lake Basin is densely populated, with numerous towns and industries. The lake area covers one-fifth of Jiangsu's total area, housing over 30% of its population and contributing to more than 40% of its economic output. Carrying out lake harnessing projects in such an area presents challenges that are unprecedented worldwide. The harnessing of Taihu Lake is not just about solving technical problems; it requires a fundamental shift in our concept of and approach to development. In the new round of lake harnessing efforts, we are taking a comprehensive approach, focusing not just on the lake itself but also on its upstream areas. Precision efforts have been implemented targeting both the water and the shores. We have learned that while issues may appear in the water, their roots often lie onshore. Therefore, we are closely monitoring 40 key rivers in the basin, implementing tailored measures to tackle pollution sources, and comprehensively transforming industries, reducing pollution and restoring the ecological environment. Last year, we took actions against and upgraded over 4,500 polluting companies in areas like Yixing in Wuxi, Gehu Lake in Changzhou, as well as Taohu Lake. This resulted in a reduction of major pollutant emissions by over 1,500 metric tons and the repurposing of more than 30,000 mu of existing land used for construction. We are prioritizing efforts to strike a balance between the prevention of additional pollution and reduction of current pollution. We are monitoring the 20,282 phosphorus-related enterprises in the basin and tracking their phosphorus emissions. The rate of urban sewage collection is increasing by 5% annually. We have also carried out ecological dredging in the lake, with 49 million cubic meters of sediment removed so far, equivalent to 70 Slender West Lakes in Yangzhou. In the new round of lake harnessing efforts, we plan to continue removing more than 30 million cubic meters of sediment from Taihu Lake and effectively reduce pollution. We will also implement measures to enhance the lake's ecological capacity and increase greenery in the area. This includes reclaiming land around the lake, building wetlands and nurturing underwater greenery, in a bid to continuously enhance the lake's ecological capacity. In addition, we will work to achieve shared prosperity among the community, the lake and the cities, enriching the charm of Jiangsu and bolstering its green development with the captivating scenery of Taihu Lake. By creating a better ecological environment and presenting a more advanced development pattern, we will offer Taihu Lake's solution to new quality productive forces.

We believe that through our sustained efforts, the governance of Taihu Lake will accumulate experience for thorough treatment of shallow lakes and long-term ecological improvement of large lakes, and set a benchmark for the governance of other lakes across the country. Thank you.