The 27th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th Jiangsu Provincial People's Congress, the top legislature in the province, opened on November 29 and reviewed a draft law on the protection of the Hongze Lake.

In line with the lake’s characteristics, the draft law makes clear the goal at four phases, namely a restoration of the lake area, improvement of the lake’s water quality, recovery of the lake’s eco-system and enhancement of the lake’s function,

Aerial view of Hongze Lake. Photo/CFP

Located in Huai'an and Suqian cities, Hongze Lake is China's fourth largest freshwater lake and plays a key role in both the flood control in the lower reaches of the Huaihe River and water storage and regulation for the eastern line of the South-North Water Transfer project.

Chen Jie, director of the province’s water conservancy department, said the lake’s governance still faces daunting challenges, such as the shrinking water area, ecological degradation and weak infrastructure, so it’s imperative to improve the governance through legislation.

Hongze Lake’s current management and protection involve efforts of multiple industry authorities at different levels. The draft law will codify the successful practices by the Hongze Lake Management Committee to form a robust regulatory system, and the committee will be responsible for coordinating protection efforts in cooperation with local agencies.

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