Xinhua releases report on Huaihe River's ecological civilization development

　　HEFEI, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Xinhua Institute, the think tank arm of Xinhua News Agency, on Friday released a report on ecological civilization development in the Huaihe River Basin in the new era at an event in the city of Huainan, east China's Anhui Province.

　　The Huaihe River is one of China's seven major rivers. Its river basin occupies a pivotal position in the country's economic and social development, ecological security and food security. But flooding and water pollution have once hindered development along the river.

　　According to the report, governance of the Huaihe River has advanced through coordinated efforts since 2012. Work has focused heavily on flood control, water conservation, aquatic ecosystem restoration, and enhancing the water environment. Ultimately, these combined initiatives have driven historic achievements in river management, pollution treatment and poverty eradication.

　　The report stated that the Huaihe River is shifting from traditional river basin governance toward broader basin revitalization.

　　In recent years, regions along the river have firmly safeguarded the bottom line of water security, tightened restraints on water resources, stabilized aquatic ecosystems and innovated water governance, laying a solid foundation for high-quality development, it said.

　　The basin is exploring a new model of ecological civilization development by aligning with national development strategies, fostering cultural industries, leveraging sci-tech innovation to upgrade industries and promoting a comprehensive green transition, according to the report.

　　The report pointed out the development of an ecological civilization in the Huaihe River Basin embodies elements of Chinese wisdom, like putting environmental protection first and working toward coordinated growth. It could potentially be used as a model for managing the environment in other large river basins around the world. ■