eye Lanzhou

A stretch of the Yellow River runs right through the city. For Lanzhou, protecting the Yellow River means protecting the city’s future. On August 21, the press conference announces that this year’s August 15 marked the fourth National Ecology Day and the official effective date of the Ecological and Environmental Code of the People's Republic of China. Today, we look at how Lanzhou safeguards its ecological foundation from three aspects: water ecology, solid waste, and natural ecology. Since 2026, all national- and provincial-level monitoring sections along the mainstream and tributaries of the Yellow River in Lanzhou have maintained a 100% good-quality rate, with the outbound section steadily meeting Class II standards. This means that the Yellow River water flowing downstream from Lanzhou remains clear. 

When it comes to water quality, the data speaks for itself. To date, Lanzhou has conducted a total of approximately 14,147 person-times of water environment inspections and identified 1,126 issues. Meanwhile, Lanzhou was selected for the 2026 central government–supported Beautiful Rivers and Lakes Protection and Construction Project. The 30 sub‑projects under this initiative involve a total investment of about 1.92 billion yuan, which will further enhance wastewater treatment and ecological restoration of rivers and lakes. From “waste disposal” to “turning waste into treasure,” the city’s green development is becoming part of daily life. During the 14th Five‑Year Plan period, Lanzhou completed 100 solid waste treatment projects with a total investment exceeding 13.3 billion yuan.

Currently, the city’s comprehensive utilization rate of general industrial solid waste has reached 98.72%, and the coverage rate of municipal solid waste sorting has reached 100%. In the four main urban districts, primary domestic waste has achieved zero landfilling and full incineration.Zooming out, Lanzhou is also safeguarding a larger ecological security barrier. Focusing on the ecological protection of the Qilian Mountains, Lanzhou has established a list of key tasks and built an integrated “space–air–ground” monitoring system using satellite remote sensing, drones, and field verification, shifting ecological protection from broad‑scale surveys to precision oversight. 

At the same time, let ecological protection, industrial development, and people's livelihood improvement reinforce one another. A river connects the upper and lower reaches; a city connects people and nature. Today’s Lanzhou is ensuring the Yellow River’s safety and strengthening its ecological shield through stricter protection and smarter governance.

翻译：徐琬钰

二校：汪霺

三校：赵雨欣