China steps up nationwide efforts to restore 'mother rivers'

BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Water Resources said Saturday that it will launch the second round of a nationwide campaign to restore "mother rivers," aiming to continuously improve the ecological environment of major rivers and lakes across the country.

The second round of the restoration campaign will cover another 111 rivers and lakes, following the inclusion of 88 in the first round, the ministry said.

By 2030, all seasonal rivers among the 111 targeted rivers and lakes will run continuously under normal inflow conditions, while the lakes' ecological water levels will be effectively maintained, the ministry said. It added that the ecological functions of key rivers and lakes are expected to improve markedly, with important aquatic habitats restored.

Each river or lake covered in the campaign will have a tailor-made restoration plan, which details measures for restoring water bodies that have been encroached upon, optimizing water transfers, strengthening water replenishment for ecological purposes, and improving water connectivity, the ministry said.

The ministry cited several major achievements made during the first round of the campaign, including the full restoration of water flows in the Grand Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Yongding River, a major waterway running through the populous Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.

"Mother rivers" refer to waterways that are closely tied to generations of people living along their basins at the national, provincial, municipal and county levels. These rivers and lakes play an important role in shaping regional landforms and ecosystems, underpinning economic and social development, nurturing human civilization and passing down cultural heritage.

China has made notable progress in water environment conservation and restoration in recent years, as the share of surface water with good quality reached 91.4 percent in 2025, staying above 90 percent for a second straight year.