11.1 Development Process
243
in the river chief system; instead, the legislation provides for a river basin water
environmental protection joint coordination mechanism (Article 28).
3
In January 2018 when in the process of expanding the complex river chief system
to lakes, the Office of the State Council issued its “Opinions on Fully Implementing
Lake Chief System”. The opinions identified the characteristics of the lake chief
system, in which lake management and protection must comprehensively consider
the complicated relationship between rivers and lakes, and the cross section and
regional responsibility are difficult to be clarified due to the flow connection. Extensive development along lakeshores, such as cultivation, aquaculture, and tourism,
can be out-of-order if proper management and protection are lacking. The lake water
body is slow to recover after being polluted by slow water flow, where there is a longer
exchange time and an accumulation of toxins and pollutants. At the same time, lakes
play an important role in maintaining regional ecological balance, weather regulation, and biodiversity protection and require more attention in terms of management
and protection (Office of the State Council 2018).
11.2 System Framework
According to the Opinions on Fully Implementing River Chief System, the river
chief system must develop a river/lake management and protection mechanism that
clearly assigns responsibility, effective coordination, strict supervision, and effective
protection to maintain the health, sustainable development, and use of rivers and
lakes.
11.2.1 Principles
The basic principles of the system are as follows:
• Ecological priorities and green development following the concept of respecting,
adapting to and protecting nature; preserving the relationship between river/lake
management and protection, development, and use; reinforcing plan constraints
to promote natural restoration; and maintaining the ecological functions of rivers
and lakes.
• Governmental leadership and departmental interaction that seeks to establish and
make continual improvements to a responsibility system with governmental leadership responsibility at its core. The system should clarify the responsibilities
of the river chiefs at all levels, strengthen work measures, and coordinate all
departments to form a work pattern of level-by-level implementation, as well as
a supervision system.
3 http://www.npc.gov.cn/npc/zhibo/zzzb39/node_4309.htm.
243
in the river chief system; instead, the legislation provides for a river basin water
environmental protection joint coordination mechanism (Article 28).
3
In January 2018 when in the process of expanding the complex river chief system
to lakes, the Office of the State Council issued its “Opinions on Fully Implementing
Lake Chief System”. The opinions identified the characteristics of the lake chief
system, in which lake management and protection must comprehensively consider
the complicated relationship between rivers and lakes, and the cross section and
regional responsibility are difficult to be clarified due to the flow connection. Extensive development along lakeshores, such as cultivation, aquaculture, and tourism,
can be out-of-order if proper management and protection are lacking. The lake water
body is slow to recover after being polluted by slow water flow, where there is a longer
exchange time and an accumulation of toxins and pollutants. At the same time, lakes
play an important role in maintaining regional ecological balance, weather regulation, and biodiversity protection and require more attention in terms of management
and protection (Office of the State Council 2018).
11.2 System Framework
According to the Opinions on Fully Implementing River Chief System, the river
chief system must develop a river/lake management and protection mechanism that
clearly assigns responsibility, effective coordination, strict supervision, and effective
protection to maintain the health, sustainable development, and use of rivers and
lakes.
11.2.1 Principles
The basic principles of the system are as follows:
• Ecological priorities and green development following the concept of respecting,
adapting to and protecting nature; preserving the relationship between river/lake
management and protection, development, and use; reinforcing plan constraints
to promote natural restoration; and maintaining the ecological functions of rivers
and lakes.
• Governmental leadership and departmental interaction that seeks to establish and
make continual improvements to a responsibility system with governmental leadership responsibility at its core. The system should clarify the responsibilities
of the river chiefs at all levels, strengthen work measures, and coordinate all
departments to form a work pattern of level-by-level implementation, as well as
a supervision system.
3 http://www.npc.gov.cn/npc/zhibo/zzzb39/node_4309.htm.