Water ecology focus in next five years

China will endeavor to remediate damaged ecological systems in major river basins and restore aquatic animals and plants there during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25), a senior environmental official said.

Based on the improved environment, China will attach more importance to the protection and restoration of water ecology as it begins to draft the plan on ecological and environmental protection in the coming five years, said Zhai Qing, vice-minister of ecology and environment, at a national conference on Monday.

He said one of the priorities from 2021 to 2025 is to restore water in dried-up water bodies by enhancing the utilization of reclaimed water and promoting water conservation in regions with high water consumption.