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11 The River and Lake Chief System
11.1 Development Process
The river chief system concept is known to originate from Changxin County, Zhejiang
Province in 2003. Changxin County implemented a river chief system to manage
urban rivers in 2003 so as to develop a national hygiene city. The leaders of the water
resources bureau and environmental and sanitation office were assigned the role of
chief and took responsibility for dredging and cleaning the rivers. The pilot achieved
significant results in water pollution control. In 2004, the county extended the system
to rural areas, with village and township leaders as chiefs. In 2008, the county issued
a document to appoint county leaders as the chiefs of rivers flowing into the Taihu
Lake, and township leaders as the chiefs of rivers in their jurisdictions. This led to
the development of a three-level (county, township, and village) river chief system
in the county.
Other prefectures in Zhejiang Province subsequently successively piloted the river
chief system. In 2013, Zhejiang Province issued the document “Opinions on Fully
Implementing River Chief System to Strengthen Water Pollution Control,” which
clarified that the river chief was the responsible person in charge of river course
management, control, and protection.
1 In neighboring Jiangsu Province in 2007,
the Wuxi Prefecture issued the “Cross-sectional Water Quality Control Targets and
Assessment Method (interim) of Wuxi Prefecture” to combat an outbreak of blue
algae in the Taihu Lake, which was a milestone case of water pollution in China.
The method applied river cross-sectional water quality monitoring results to assess
the achievements of the leadership. In 2008, Jiangsu Province implemented the river
chief system in the Taihu Lake Basin.
2 After Jiangsu, other provinces, including
Beijing, Tianjin, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Hainan, also adopted the system.
In October 2016, the Office of the State Council issued its “Opinions on Fully
Implementing River Chief System.” The document characterized the river chief
system as an effective measure for combatting the country’s complicated water problems and maintaining the health of rivers and lakes, as well as an innovative system
for improving water governance and guaranteeing national water security (Office of
State Council 2016).
In December 2016, the MWR and MEP jointly issued the Implementation Plan
to Opinions on Fully Implementing River Chief System. The plan included formulating a river/lake classified list, setting up a river chief office, detailing key tasks,
strengthening classified guidance, and formulating a work progress timeline to fully
implement the river chief system before June 2018 (MWR & MEP 2016). In 2017,
the river chief system was incorporated into the revised Water Pollution Control Law.
Article 5 of the Water Pollution Control Law stipulates that the river chief system
should be developed in provinces, prefectures, counties, and townships to organize
water resource protection, coastal line protection, and water pollution control for
rivers and lakes in administrative regions. However, the legislation does not define
accountability issues, and inter-provincial water pollution control is not included
1 http://news.gmw.cn/2018-02/02/content_27555182.htm.
2 http://www.xinhuanet.com//politics/2016-12/25/c_1120182818.htm.
11 The River and Lake Chief System
11.1 Development Process
The river chief system concept is known to originate from Changxin County, Zhejiang
Province in 2003. Changxin County implemented a river chief system to manage
urban rivers in 2003 so as to develop a national hygiene city. The leaders of the water
resources bureau and environmental and sanitation office were assigned the role of
chief and took responsibility for dredging and cleaning the rivers. The pilot achieved
significant results in water pollution control. In 2004, the county extended the system
to rural areas, with village and township leaders as chiefs. In 2008, the county issued
a document to appoint county leaders as the chiefs of rivers flowing into the Taihu
Lake, and township leaders as the chiefs of rivers in their jurisdictions. This led to
the development of a three-level (county, township, and village) river chief system
in the county.
Other prefectures in Zhejiang Province subsequently successively piloted the river
chief system. In 2013, Zhejiang Province issued the document “Opinions on Fully
Implementing River Chief System to Strengthen Water Pollution Control,” which
clarified that the river chief was the responsible person in charge of river course
management, control, and protection.
1 In neighboring Jiangsu Province in 2007,
the Wuxi Prefecture issued the “Cross-sectional Water Quality Control Targets and
Assessment Method (interim) of Wuxi Prefecture” to combat an outbreak of blue
algae in the Taihu Lake, which was a milestone case of water pollution in China.
The method applied river cross-sectional water quality monitoring results to assess
the achievements of the leadership. In 2008, Jiangsu Province implemented the river
chief system in the Taihu Lake Basin.
2 After Jiangsu, other provinces, including
Beijing, Tianjin, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, and Hainan, also adopted the system.
In October 2016, the Office of the State Council issued its “Opinions on Fully
Implementing River Chief System.” The document characterized the river chief
system as an effective measure for combatting the country’s complicated water problems and maintaining the health of rivers and lakes, as well as an innovative system
for improving water governance and guaranteeing national water security (Office of
State Council 2016).
In December 2016, the MWR and MEP jointly issued the Implementation Plan
to Opinions on Fully Implementing River Chief System. The plan included formulating a river/lake classified list, setting up a river chief office, detailing key tasks,
strengthening classified guidance, and formulating a work progress timeline to fully
implement the river chief system before June 2018 (MWR & MEP 2016). In 2017,
the river chief system was incorporated into the revised Water Pollution Control Law.
Article 5 of the Water Pollution Control Law stipulates that the river chief system
should be developed in provinces, prefectures, counties, and townships to organize
water resource protection, coastal line protection, and water pollution control for
rivers and lakes in administrative regions. However, the legislation does not define
accountability issues, and inter-provincial water pollution control is not included
1 http://news.gmw.cn/2018-02/02/content_27555182.htm.
2 http://www.xinhuanet.com//politics/2016-12/25/c_1120182818.htm.