Jinan section of the Yellow River [Photo/IC]

Twelve Shandong government departments, including the Shandong Department of Ecology and Environment, the Shandong Provincial High Court, as well as the Shandong Provincial Procuratorate, jointly issued an action plan for the ecological protection and governance of the Yellow River in Shandong province recently.

The Yellow River is regarded as China's mother river. For 3,000 years, its basin served as the nation's political, economic, and cultural center.

The 5,464-km-long waterway flows through a total of nine provinces and regions, feeding 12 percent of the Chinese population.

Great importance has been attached to the river's ecological protection and high-quality development due to the waterway's economic and cultural significance, as well as its environmental impact.

According to the action plan, the main stream of the Yellow River, its main tributaries like the Dawen River, and important lake reservoirs, such as Dongping Lake, will be highlighted. Shandong's cities and districts located along the Yellow River will also advance protection and restoration of the ecological system, flood control, as well as pollution prevention in the Yellow River basin.

Shandong will carry out actions to protect and improve the ecology of local rivers and lakes, reduce pollution and carbon emissions, as well as improve air quality. Measures will also be made to improve the agricultural and rural environment.

Officials will promote the signing of joint agreements on ecological and environmental law enforcement in nine provinces and regions along the Yellow River, as well as improve the interprovincial (intercity) jurisdiction and cooperation mechanism for environmental and resource public interest litigation.