Shanxi's Fenhe River Basin sees significant ecological improvement

North China's Shanxi province has made significant ecological improvements to the Fenhe River Basin since launching the "Clear Water into the Yellow River" ecological protection project in 2023. 

With an investment exceeding 100 billion yuan ($13.76 billion), the project has achieved a completion rate of 61.1 percent, marking a new milestone in the Fenhe River Basin's ecological restoration.

The Linfen section of Fenhe River. [Photo/Shanxi Daily]

In collaboration with relevant provincial departments and municipalities, Shanxi's environmental protection authorities have enforced relevant laws and applied scientific methods to control pollution. Together, they have driven the high-quality and efficient construction of 285 sub-projects.

Efforts have focused on addressing urban sewage issues by improving the collection and treatment of municipal wastewater and upgrading the separation of stormwater and sewage systems. In industrial parks, the construction of centralized wastewater treatment facilities has accelerated, promoting the separate treatment of industrial and domestic wastewater.

The project has also increased efforts to identify and remediate urban black and odorous water bodies, ensuring sustained improvements. Biodiversity protection along the main stream and tributaries of the Fenhe River has been strengthened, creating ecological corridors and restoring clear water and greenery along the banks.

Various projects are progressing, including stormwater and sewage system separation in urban drainage networks, urban and rural black and odorous water body remediation, the advanced treatment of industrial park wastewater, and the ecological restoration of rivers and lakes. The goal of achieving "Clear Water into the Yellow River" is steadily becoming a reality.