On 17 June 2025, the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the Opinions on Comprehensively Promoting the Protection and Governance of Rivers and Lakes (the Opinions). This is China’s first top-level policy on comprehensive river and lake governance, setting a clear roadmap for integrated basin management through 2035.

Context

Previous efforts focused on specific aspects such as the river-chief system or individual water conservancy projects. The Opinions complement the Yangtze River Protection Law (2021) and Yellow River Protection Law (2022) by establishing nationwide principles and mechanisms for all river basins.

Key provisions

The Opinions define six key areas:

1. Flood control and disaster mitigation
2. Water-resources conservation and supply security
3. Aquatic-ecosystem protection and restoration
4. Water-environment improvement, with emphasis on drinking-water sources
5. Water culture inheritance and public engagement
6. Governance-mechanism improvement

For the first time, the policy introduces three core subsystems for flood-disaster prevention:

• A basin-level flood-control infrastructure system
• A rainfall and water monitoring and forecasting system
• A flood disaster prevention and emergency-response system

The Opinions also prioritise water quality improvement by strengthening monitoring of drinking-water sources, conducting safety assessments and restoring ecosystems in critical supply zones.

Expected impact

By 2035, the policy aims to establish a modern river basin system that enhances flood resilience, secures water supply and restores ecological health. It also seeks to promote water-related cultural values and strengthen governance mechanisms to ensure a harmonious human–water relationship. These measures are expected to deliver co-benefits for biodiversity and climate adaptation.