හූබෙයි පළාත පුරාවට හැඩවෙන යැංසි ගංතෙර

Hubei steps up all-round protection of Yangtze River ecology

Central China's Hubei Province has stepped up efforts to protect ecology of the Yangtze River by transforming river beaches into eco-friendly and people-centric spaces.

Qingshan River Beach in Wuhan City, once piled with gravels from steel production, now boasts more than 80 percent green coverage, which can annually increase carbon sequestration by approximately 723.8 tons and release around 2,400 tons of oxygen.

Since 2013, local authorities started a comprehensive renovation project to transform the river beach into a space for greenery and activities, also to a sponge city pilot area to test out permeable paving materials.

Guanyinji River Beach in Jingzhou City was once a flood-stricken area. Since 2016, local authorities removed illegal docks, restored 52 kilometers of riverbank, and planted shelter forest, leading to a much safer river beach with over 1.05 million square meters of re-greening area.

"Now there are fewer floating garbages on the river surface, and the river water is getting clearer. Sometimes I can see fish swimming freely underneath. Over the past decade, the ecology of the Yangtze River has seen stunning improvement, and our mother river is getting more and more beautiful," said a Yangtze River garbage collector named Sun Hongyan.

Lighthouse Square River Beach in Yichang City, once a hub for chemical raw materials, has shaken off more than 130 contaminating chemical enterprises since 2016, and welcomed a 200-kilometer green corridor linking parks and scenic spots.

Local resident Yang He, also a Yangtze finless porpoise and photography enthusiast, said the population of this endangered animal has been increasing over the past few years as Yichang's environment improves.

"Now, the more I photograph them, the more [I find] their growing population. On June 12 this year, I even captured images of a newborn Yangtze finless porpoise right near our home. This group of porpoises has now settled in Yichang, and we can come and photograph them every day. Isn't that a wonderful thing?" Yang said.

Except for renovating river beaches, Hubei Province has also introduced hydrogen-fueled ships to preserve the Yangtze River.

The "Three Gorges Hydrogen Ship No. 1", conducting patrol and emergency missions between two significant hydroelectric dams Three Gorges and Gezhouba since 2023, can achieve almost zero emissions throughout its journey.

The ship can store hydrogen which is produced using clean electricity generated by the Three Gorges Dam through water electrolysis. The hydrogen fuel cells onboard the ship convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity through an electrochemical reaction, producing water as a byproduct. This process highlights a sustainable energy cycle where hydrogen originates from water and returns to it after generating power.

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