September 14 (Xinhua) — According to the official WeChat account of the Ministry of Water Resources, in order to strengthen the protection of rivers and lakes in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region, and in accordance with the Law on Ecological Protection of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and other laws and regulations, the Ministry of Water Resources recently formulated and issued the "Opinions on Further Improving the River and Lake Chief System in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Region" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions").

The "Opinions" put forward measures to improve the responsibility system of the river and lake chief system in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region, and clarified key tasks for river and lake management and protection, including coordinating the protection of water resources, water ecology and water environment, strictly controlling the spatial management of river and lake water areas and shorelines, standardizing river sand mining management, strengthening monitoring and surveillance, promoting scientific expeditions and research on major issues, and strengthening law enforcement and supervision. They guide localities to effectively strengthen organizational leadership over the river and lake chief system in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region, give full play to the role of the inter-provincial joint conference mechanism of river and lake chiefs in the Yangtze River Basin and the Yellow River Basin, and strengthen joint prevention, control and governance of cross-provincial rivers and lakes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. They also improve the mechanism for public participation in river and lake protection, actively cultivate "civilian river and lake chiefs" and volunteer service teams, and continuously enhance the public's sense of responsibility for and participation in river and lake protection.