In a historic breakthrough, the main stream of the West Liaohe River witnessed uninterrupted flow along its entire length for the first time in almost three decades, according to the Ministry of Water Resources. 

A major part of Liaohe River, one of the seven largest in the country, the West Liaohe has been in a state of interruption since the conclusion of its flood season in 1998, making it the only major watercourse in the country facing such a situation.

To address the problem, Chen Min, vice-minister of water resources, said that the ministry, together with government of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, has been strengthening water resources management in the basin since 2020. The endeavor involves bolstering enforcement measures against illegal encroachment into rivers and lakes, elevating the criteria for project approval, and promoting water conservation and treatment of over-exploitation of ground water.

As a result of these measures, “the water table in the over-exploited groundwater area has halted its descent and begun to ascend. The restoration of the local ecological environment has been truly remarkable,”  Chen said. In areas where the water flow has resumed, the varieties of bird species and their numbers have significantly increased.