Systematic approach sees return of clear waters to the Yangtze River

The Yangtze River was once emblematic of the environmental costs of rapid industrialization. But over the past decade, China's longest river has undergone a quiet but profound transformation. It is now increasingly associated with clear waters, recovering biodiversity and greener development pathways.

This shift did not occur by accident. It is the result of sustained efforts under the framework of the Yangtze River Economic Belt to apply the simple principle: prioritize conservation and avoid excessive development. By embedding ecological limits in economic development, the YREB has reshaped the development along the river.

Few symbols illustrate this change more vividly than the fate of the Yangtze knifefish. Around 2012, overfishing and pollution had pushed the wild population of the Yangtze knifefish to the brink of collapse. Its scarcity pushed up market prices to extraordinary levels and set off an ecological alarm. The turning point came in 2021 when the authorities imposed a comprehensive 10-year fishing ban. The ban was more than a simple prohibition. It was part of a broader restoration strategy that combined enforcement, habitat protection and livelihood transition. In cities such as Nantong in Jiangsu province, former fishermen now serve as river guardians, working alongside police officers and volunteers to safeguard spawning routes for migratory species. Their transition highlights an important lesson: ecological restoration works best when environmental goals and social stability advance together.

The benefits of restoration go well beyond knifefish. Over the past decade, large-scale afforestation and shoreline rehabilitation projects across the YREB have significantly increased forest coverage and reduced soil erosion. In Yichang, Hubei province, the removal of more than 200 unauthorized docks has returned kilometers of the riverbank to public use. Areas once dominated by heavy chemical facilities have been transformed into ecological corridors where finless porpoises and migratory birds are common sights once again.

Such systematic approaches have replaced stop-gap measures. In Zhejiang province, the "Five-Water Co-Governance" initiative has restored tributaries such as the Tiaoxi River by addressing pollution, flood control, drainage, water supply and conservation in an integrated framework.

The green transition of the YREB has not come at the expense of economic growth. Rather, the environmental constraints have become drivers of high-quality growth. Over the past 10 years, regions along the Yangtze have undergone industrial upgrading, phasing out outdated and high-pollution machinery and turning to cleaner production and circular economy models.

The restructuring of the chemical sector offers a telling example. In Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, a cluster of energy-intensive chemical plants once caused heavy environmental damage. Through closures, relocations, upgrades and reorganizations, the sector has been reshaped. The remaining enterprises now operate with cleaner processes and modern environmental controls. Similar transformations are underway across traditional industries, from steel to building materials, aligning competitiveness with environmental responsibility.

At the same time, emerging green industries are injecting new momentum into the regional economy. In Wuhu, Anhui province, a fast-growing new-energy vehicle cluster — anchored by companies such as BYD and NIO — has formed a complete value chain spanning battery research, vehicle manufacturing and charging infrastructure. In Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, distributed solar and wind power projects along the banks of the Yangtze River are accelerating the shift toward a low-carbon energy mix, making productive use of rooftops and industrial facilities.

Green development has opened new avenues for local livelihoods. In Yibin, Sichuan province, ecological protection in the upper reaches of the Yangtze has helped develop eco-tourism, integrating wetlands, tea plantations, and historic towns. Activities such as ecological study tours and riverside hiking have converted environmental assets into sustainable income sources, reinforcing the link between conservation and rural revitalization.

Underlying these changes is a growing emphasis on coordinated governance. As a river that flows across multiple provinces, the Yangtze has long faced challenges such as fragmented management and mismatched incentives between upstream and downstream regions. Over the past decade, these barriers have gradually been addressed through joint monitoring, shared enforcement mechanisms and institutionalized cooperation.

A cross-provincial water quality monitoring and early-warning system now enables real-time data sharing across the basin. The 11 provincial level regions along the Yangtze have established judicial and administrative coordination mechanisms to jointly combat illegal fishing and cross-border pollution. Ecological compensation arrangements — most notably in the Xin'an River between Zhejiang and Anhui — have further aligned incentives by ensuring that those who protect ecosystems are adequately rewarded.

As China ushers in the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) period, the YREB experience offers valuable insights. Ecological recovery is neither quick nor linear, and maintaining gains will require continued investment, technological innovation and institutional refinement. Expanding the use of smart monitoring tools, improving wastewater treatment in smaller cities and deepening green upgrading in industries will all be essential.

More broadly, the Yangtze's transformation underscores an important point: environmental protection and economic development need not be opposing goals. When guided by long-term planning and coordinated governance, green development can restore natural systems while sustaining growth and improving livelihoods. The return of clearer waters to the Yangtze is not an endpoint, but a foundation that will continue to shape China's development path in the years ahead.

Huang Huan is a professor at the Business School of Chengdu University of Technology and a research fellow at the Yangtze River Economic Zone Research Institution of Renmin University of China. An Bowen is a research fellow at the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era Research Center in Fujian Province.

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