A view of Tieshan Temple scenic area in Xuyi County, Huai’an City, Jiangsu Province. (CFP)

In the first eight months of this year, Jiangsu recorded the best air quality in the Yangtze River Delta, which also includes Shanghai municipality and the provinces of Anhui and Zhejiang, according to the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Ecology and Environment on September 18.

The province has accelerated its efforts to improve the ecological and environmental performance, including implementing ecological restoration across more than 37,000 hectares. Jiangsu has also completed its annual self-evaluation of water ecology in the Yangtze River Basin and continued to enhance the water quality of major rivers flowing into Taihu Lake and its associated key waterways.

Focusing on prominent environmental issues and pollution control targets, Jiangsu has launched a province-wide campaign to investigate and rectify the illegal disposal of solid waste.

The province has also carried out law enforcement initiatives aimed at improving air quality and addressing issues related to nature reserves. For example, the Jiangsu Provincial Ecological and Environmental Protection Regulations officially came into effect on June 5, and the province is also accelerating the drafting of its biodiversity protection regulations.