The eastern province of Jiangxi has enacted a regulation to ensure clean water supply to Hong Kong from the headwaters of the Dongjiang River, which is the major potable water source for the region.

The regulation sets responsibilities for the counties in the Dongjiang River Valleys to protect forest and water resources and stop any environmental degeneration within two years, so that Hong Kong, with a population of 7 million, can get enough quality potable water.

Since 1963, the government has invested billions of yuan in the con-struction of Dongjiang-Shenzhen Water Supply Improvement Project to meet Hong Kong's need for water.

The project has been expanded four times in accordance with Hong Kong's development and can divert 11 billion cubic meters of water.

However, a large amount of soil on the upper reaches of the Dongjiang River has been washed away, and is increasing by more than 4 million tons annually. It not only led to soil acidity, but lowered the quantity and quality of the river water.

Local governments have taken many measures to improve the ecosystem around the river.

The river originates in Xunwu County in Jiangxi and covers 3,502 square kilometers. With 4.4 billion cubic meters of water flow each year, the river inputs 2.92 billion cubic meters of water to the Pearl River Delta annually and is the major sour-ce of the water improvement project.

Wang Biao of the Jiangzi Com-mittee on Environment and Resou-rces said despite the poor finance, they will not dodge the responsibility to protect the ecosystem on the upper reaches of the Dongjiang River

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