Jiangsu protects renowned, high-quality water resources

By Cang Wei in Nanjing | China Daily | Updated: 2017-10-02 07:45

Jiangsu province's hairy crabs are famous across the country, especially those farmed in Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou and Gucheng Lake in Nanjing.

The province is known as "the land of rice and fish" for good reason. Lakes in Jiangsu, with their high water quality, hard bottom sediment and abundant natural feed, are the best places for breeding hairy crabs and other kinds of aquatic produce.

Jiangsu has a well-developed irrigation system, which has earned it the name "the land of water". China's Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal cuts through Jiangsu from north to south, crossing all the east-west river systems. The Yangtze River, the longest river in China, cuts through the province in the south, dividing the region in two.

The province has one of the highest concentrations of freshwater lakes in China. It is home to 110 lakes that have an area of more than 100 hectares. Its total area of lakes is more than 685,300 hectares.

"Water quality has a great influence on aquaculture," said Li Mingxiao, a junior student majoring in aquaculture at Nanjing Agriculture University. "The improvement of water quality benefits the growth of fish and lowers the risk of disease."

"If the water quality were to decrease, drugs would have to be poured into the lake in order to cure the fish diseases, which could pollute the water."

In late 2016, the provincial government put forward a new environmental protection action plan to solve the prominent environmental problems in Jiangsu.

In May 2007, Taihu Lake, which is famous for its scenic views and high-quality crabs, had a major algae outbreak. But now, according to Zhu Tiejun, director of the Taihu Lake Water Pollution Control Office, the water pollution and algae outbreak has been controlled after 10 years of hard work.

However, eutrophication is still a prominent problem and the content of nitrogen and phosphorus remains high. As such, the focus of the upcoming years is to control the total phosphorus and nitrogen emissions, according to Zhu.

According to the 2016 Jiangsu Province Water Resources Bulletin, a series of measurements will be taken to improve the management of water resources in the province. The measures include implementing the strictest management system of water resources and developing a water saving society.

Zhu Jingwen contributed to this story.