Issue 12, 2026
Research on construction model of healthy water circulation systems in plateau lake basins in Yunnan
HU Chunhong;MA Wei;ZHAO Shaoxi;YANG Zhi;MAO Zongbo;China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research;Influenced by climatic conditions, human activities, and development demands, the plateau lake basins in Yunnan are facing a complex predicament characterized by water resource shortages, difficulties in water environment improvement, and significant pressure for water ecological restoration. The traditional lake governance model dominated by end-of-pipe treatment is no longer sufficient to address these challenges. This study, grounded in the concept of a healthy water circulation system, synthesized the governance practices of plateau lakes over the past three decades. It distilled a four-in-one framework for constructing a healthy basin water circulation system: water source conservation, process circulation, end-of-pipe interception and purification, and systematic evaluation. This mode represents a theoretical attempt at the current governance practices of plateau lake basins, and its core significance lies in advancing the paradigm of lake governance from “water treatment” to “water cycle management”. Its core breakthrough consists of three transformations: shifting from treating water in isolation to the integrated coordination of water resources, water environment, and water ecology; transitioning from engineering-dominated approaches to an integrated combination of gray infrastructure and nature-based solutions; moving from single-indicator assessment to multi-dimensional systematic evaluation. The study further proposed a full-chain framework covering “source, process, end, and system”, emphasizing the synergistic regulation of social and natural water cycles. The governance experience of plateau lakes in Yunnan demonstrates that the key to constructing a healthy water circulation system lies not only in technological integration but also, more critically, in activating the systemic reconstruction of “humanwater harmony” through institutional innovation. This understanding offers important insights for watershed governance in other ecologically fragile regions.
Analysis of synergistic development path of ecology–water–industry system in Hainan Free Trade Port under customs closure operations
JIN Gaoyang;Against the dual background of the transformation in global basin governance concepts and the customs closure operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port, a systematic understanding of the intrinsic logical relationships among ecological protection, water resources allocation, and industrial coordinated development of Hainan Island, as an independent geographical unit, can provide support for systematically promoting the high-quality development of the Free Trade Port. Based on the concept of basin system governance and regional coordinated development theory, combined with the specific policy context of the Hainan Free Trade Port, such as “zero tariffs, low tax rates, and a simplified tax system” and “free and convenient movement of trade, investments, capital, persons, and transportation, and safe and orderly flow of data”, this study systematically analyzed the synergistic logical chain of “ecological foundation–water resources nexus–industrial empowerment” at the island-wide scale. The results show that ecological protection is a preconditional constraint for the sustainable development of the whole island, providing a fundamental support for water resources security and green industrial transformation; water resources allocation is the core nexus connecting ecological protection and industrial development, which realizes the optimal allocation of resources and the systematic adjustment of the industrial structure through the mechanism of “defining city, land, population and production by water” and island-wide overall planning; industrial coordinated development is the key path to activate the development momentum of the whole island, which promotes the clustered development of ecological industries relying on the policy advantages of the Free Trade Port and reversely feeds back to ecological protection and water resources governance. The three components form a closed-loop synergistic mechanism of “protection–allocation–value addition–feedback” through institutional innovation, which not only reflects the basic laws of basin system governance and island development but also adapts to the institutional environment under high-level opening-up conditions and can provide practical references and policy connection paths for island-type regions to realize the unification of ecological, economic, and social benefits under resource and environmental constraints.
Exploration and practice of investment circulation mechanism for erosion gully control in black soil region of Northeast China
ZHAO Ruijuan;TIAN Minghao;REN Ming;QIAN Jiayang;The black soil region of Northeast China is the “ballast stone” for maintaining national food security. Exploring the investment circulation mechanism for erosion gully control is not only an innovation in management mode but also an inevitable action to deeply practice Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. Since the “14 th Five-Year Plan” period, a total of 33 000 erosion gullies have been controlled in the black soil region of Northeast China, protecting and restoring 7.92 million mu of cultivated land. Combining typical practices in the black soil region of Northeast China and focusing on the trading of newly added cultivated land indicators derived from erosion gully control and the realization path of ecological product value, this paper systematically sorted out three types of value conversion models: the “indicator trading type”, the “ecological product + carbon sink type”, and the “dual-trading composite type”. This paper summarized the core experiences of “laying the foundation with ecological priority, breaking barriers through departmental synergy, strengthening the foundation via policy connection, and empowering development with circular mechanisms” and identified current problems, such as obstacles in indicator recognition procedures, immature technical systems, and the lack of benefit feedback mechanisms. Guided by problem-orientation to solve control difficulties and target-orientation to promote green transformation, this paper proposed countermeasures from four dimensions: improving the policy system, strengthening technical support, activating market vitality, and deepening synergistic linkage. This paper provides a replicable paradigm for establishing a long-term “control–value increment–reinvestment” mechanism in the black soil region of Northeast China, helps build a dual barrier for national food security and ecological security, and enhances the momentum of regional green development.
Provincial ecological restoration zoning and transmission mechanism based on multi-scale watershed units: a case study of Fujian Province
LIU Hang;GENG Yuzhou;Integrated watershed governance and regional ecological restoration have good synergistic effects. To address the problems of unsystematic identification of ecological processes, unclear scale linkage among restoration units, an underdeveloped planning transmission mechanism, and insufficient multi-department coordination in provincial ecological restoration, this study took Fujian Province as the research object and developed a mechanism for provincial ecological restoration zoning and transmission based on multi-scale watershed units. It proposed technical methods, including the coupled assessment of watershed ecological–social systems, the delineation of multi-scale watershed ecological restoration units, and the multi-level transmission and management of watershed ecological restoration. Following the idea of “main watersheds determining the overall pattern, secondary watersheds delineating zones, and unit watersheds implementing tasks”, this study established a spatial organization system of “overall pattern–restoration zoning–implementation units” to support the hierarchical decomposition and spatial placement of provincial ecological restoration tasks. The study identified the dominant functions, degraded elements, and restoration needs of different watershed segments in Fujian Province. It delineated three first-level zones(namely, the upper-reach deep-mountain and river-source ecological conservation zone, the mid-reach shallow-mountain and rivervalley ecological protection zone, and the lower-reach plain and estuary ecological defense zone), 21 secondlevel zones in four categories, and more than 600 implementation units. On this basis, the study proposed six categories of provincial-level key projects, including forest ecological protection and restoration, water ecological protection and restoration, restoration of historical abandoned mines, wetland ecological protection and restoration, soil and water conservation ecological restoration, and biodiversity protection and restoration, thereby forming a technical pathway for provincial ecological restoration zoning and transmission characterized by provincial coordination and city-and county-level implementation.
Analysis of spatiotemporal evolution pattern and driving forces of soil erosion in Guizhou Province
ZHANG Long;Guizhou Province is located in the eastern part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and is one of the provinces in China where karst landforms are most widely developed, facing serious issues of soil erosion and rocky desertification. Analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution pattern of soil erosion in Guizhou Province from 2000 to 2024 and quantifying the independent contributions and interactive effects of driving factors can provide a scientific basis for the precise control of soil erosion in karst mountainous areas. This study estimated the soil erosion modulus based on the RUSLE model, employed the Theil-Sen trend analysis and Mann-Kendall test to evaluate the temporal changes in erosion, and introduced the random forest-SHAP framework to analyze the driving mechanisms and nonlinear interactive effects of the spatial pattern of soil erosion. The results show that the multi-year mean soil erosion modulus in Guizhou Province is 1922.97 t/(km2·a), exhibiting a spatial differentiation pattern of high in the south and low in the north. Over the 25 years, soil erosion in 57.79% of the area in Guizhou Province has shown a decreasing trend; the proportion of the slight erosion area increases from 65.00% to 74.57%, and the proportion of the intensive and above erosion area decreases from 11.52% to 5.67%. The slope length and steepness(LS) factor is the primary dominant factor controlling the spatial differentiation of soil erosion, with a SHAP value of 1024(contribution rate of 61.8%); this was followed by the rainfall erosivity(R) factor and the vegetation cover and management(C) factor, with SHAP values of 268(contribution rate of 16.2%) and 215(contribution rate of 13.0%), respectively. In addition, the SHAP interaction values of the LS-R and LS-C factors are 78.41 and 52.53, respectively, indicating significantly strong nonlinear effects between terrain and rainfall, as well as between terrain and vegetation. Soil erosion in Guizhou Province continuously improves overall, and the multidimensional interactive driving pattern of rainfall and vegetation under the main control of terrain is significant. Future control should implement partitioned measures based on the terrain-vegetation coupling effect, strengthen the synergistic configuration of engineering and vegetation in steep slope areas, and pay attention to the erosion risk of extreme rainfall in the context of climate change.
Dynamic identification of the end of Meiyu period and post-flood season in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River for real-time forecasting and operation
XIONG Feng;LI Yanqing;XING Wenhui;LI Jing;In the context of global climate change, the seasonal flood patterns in the Yangtze River basin have become increasingly complex, rendering traditional static flood season delineation methods insufficient for the refined operation requirements of reservoirs. To improve the utilization efficiency of floodwater resources, this paper proposed a dynamic identification method for the post-flood season in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, oriented to real-time forecasting and operation. The study constructed a comprehensive index system for the end of Meiyu period in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, which includes rainfall indicators and atmospheric circulation indicators. By comprehensively adopting multiple methods such as statistical staging theory, rising and falling water classification analysis, and trend division-ranking analysis of hydrological factors, key hydrological discrimination conditions for the middle reaches of the Yangtze River entering the post-flood season, such as water level and discharge, were proposed. A long short-term memory network model was used to simulate the operation process of the Three Gorges Reservoir, and the flood control risk of the dynamic control of the operation water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir in the post-flood season was evaluated. The results indicate that the proposed dynamic discrimination technique introduces no flood control risk in measured major flood years in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, such as 1954, 1998, and 2020, and can effectively advance the time when the middle reaches of the Yangtze River enter the post-flood season in typical dry years, such as 1972, 1978, 2006, and 2022, on the premise of ensuring flood control safety. The results of stochastic runoff experiments also demonstrate that when the Three Gorges Reservoir adopts the dynamic control and operation strategy of the operation water level in the post-flood season, the flood control risks at the Lianhuatang and Shashi stations are approximately 0.7% and 0.3%, respectively, and the overall risks are manageable. The research results can provide a scientific basis for the post-flood season operation of cascade reservoirs such as the Three Gorges Reservoir.
Study on standard system framework for joint operation of cascade reservoir groups in river basins
XING Ziqiang;LI Zongli;LIU Shanshan;WEI Jiahua;LYU Jie;YANG Xiaoru;At present, the cascade hydropower development pattern of major river basins in China has basically formed, but the supply of key technical standards remains insufficient. The standard system for the joint operation of cascade reservoir groups in river basins is the top-level design to guide, promote, and standardize the standardized management of joint operation, and it is the programmatic document for formulating and revising joint operation rules. The construction of this standard system needs to benchmark against the requirement of accelerating the development of new quality productive forces of water conservancy, spanning all links of joint operation, such as scheme design, operation scheduling, implementation evaluation, and digital twin, and form a standard system with a clear hierarchical structure, comprehensive professional categories, and closed-loop functions. Relying on standard databases such as the National Public Service Platform for Standards Information, this paper systematically reviewed the existing operation standards for water resources and hydropower engineering in China, analyzed their current status from the aspects of standard categories, publishing units, and application scope, and dissected the existing deficiencies. On this basis, combined with the realistic requirement of high-quality water resources development, this paper clarified the overall idea and basic principles of the standard system architecture for the joint operation of cascade reservoir groups and proposed a standard system framework covering three dimensions of hierarchical structure, specialized category, and functional sequence. Furthermore, this paper suggested advancing the construction of the standard system in stages according to the path of “shoring up weaknesses, building systems, and promoting leadership”, piloting the establishment of a closed-loop management mode for standard formulation and revision involving “standard formulation, application testing, replication and promotion, and update iteration”, formulating and issuing policy documents such as guiding opinions on the joint operation of cascade reservoir groups in river basins, and exploring the establishment of an international cooperation mechanism for the standardized joint operation of cascade reservoir groups. This paper aims to provide a theoretical basis and practical reference for the standardized and scientific management of the joint operation of cascade reservoir groups in China.
Discussion on digital-intelligent transformation path of electronic bidding in water conservancy engineering: a case study of Hebei Province
NIE Xinyan;As an important vehicle for the digital transformation of public resource transactions, electronic bidding has become a commonly adopted method for bidding and tendering of water conservancy engineering in China. In recent years, electronic bidding for water conservancy engineering in Hebei Province has realized a transition from “information-based support” to “intelligent-assisted decision-making”, achieving certain results in reducing transaction costs and optimizing resource allocation. However, current electronic bidding still faces practical challenges such as inconsistent data standards, difficulties in recognizing document contents, and strong subjectivity in bid evaluation results, making the digital-intelligent transformation of bidding for water conservancy engineering imperative. Based on the logic of “rule reshaping, technology empowerment, and value upgrading”, this paper proposed a digital-intelligent transformation path of electronic bidding for water conservancy engineering. By advancing whole-process electronization and data standardization, this path deeply embedded artificial intelligence, OCR technology, natural language processing, and machine learning into core processes such as intelligent generation and inspection of bidding documents, intelligent-assisted bid evaluation, and identification of collusive bidding to achieve intelligent upgrades. Furthermore, the path promoted continuous optimization and ecological reconstruction of the bidding system for water conservancy engineering through standard iteration and cross-departmental collaborative sharing driven by data feedback. Finally, the practical application of the digital-intelligent bid evaluation system in Hebei Province verified the scientificity and practicability of this path.
Exploration on value realization of aquatic ecological products driven by WOD model:a case study of Huangsha River basin in Lingchuan County, Guilin, Guangxi
SUN Kunjun;YAN Tingting;HUANG Hua'ai;LI Xianjing;MI Yanhua;Guangxi Vocational College of Water Resources and Electric Power;Establishing the mechanism for realizing the value of aquatic ecological products is a crucial measure for the high-quality development of water conservancy. The water security-oriented development(WOD) model provides an innovative pathway for its implementation. By taking the comprehensive basin protection and development project of the Huangsha River basin in Lingchuan County, Guilin, Guangxi, as a case study, the practical path and operational mechanism of the WOD model were systematically analyzed. The model integrated 17 sub-projects across three major categories: water security protection, aquatic ecological governance, and water resource utilization. An implementation framework featuring “government coordination and enterprise operation” was constructed, and an industrial integration chain of “water conservancy + ecological agriculture + rural tourism” was established. Through a full-cycle implementation system comprising “top-level design, project integration, financial empowerment, and industrial feedback”, the integrated operation of public welfare water conservancy projects and profit-making industries was realized. Green credit support from policy banks was successfully secured for the project, and a sustainable revenue return system was established, forming a virtuous cycle of “ecological protection, value appreciation, and revenue feedback” and achieving the coordinated enhancement of social, economic, and ecological benefits. The feasibility of the WOD model in addressing the financing difficulties and insufficient operational returns of water conservancy projects was verified, thus filling the application gap of the X-oriented development(XOD) theory, an innovative composite development paradigm driven by infrastructure construction or resource development, in the water conservancy sector. Based on project practice, suggestions were proposed regarding the strengthening of institutional construction, optimization of project planning and design, improvement of the revenue feedback mechanism, and innovation of investment and financing channels. These suggestions provide practical references for the popularization and application of the WOD model and the promotion of aquatic ecological product value realization.