Price of clean water 'a good deal'

"Although the water of Qiandao Lake is good, it has been declining since 2000," said Nie Weiping, the Xin'an River protection bureau chief in Huangshan. "If we do not control it, its future as an artificial lake could be in jeopardy."

In 2001, the Qiandao Lake Scenic Area was classified as a 5A tourist spot, the highest level, by the national tourism authority. It attracts more than 10 million visitors every year and is regarded as one of the most beautiful and cleanest lakes in China.

The Xin'an River originates from another 5A scenic spot-Yellow Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its natural beauty and as the cradle of the Hui culture.

With two areas of natural beauty on the river, the decision to strengthen cooperation on ecological preservation between Anhui and Zhejiang is understandable.

Zhejiang first proposed the idea in 2004. But it took seven years to translate words to deeds, and it wasn't until 2011 that the cross-provincial ecological preservation mechanism was enacted.

The four water quality indicators－permanganate index, total phosphorus, total nitrogen and ammonia nitrogenare monitored on an hourly basis throughout the year on a section of the river on the provincial border.

If the overall annual water quality falls below a benchmark standard agreed by both sides, Anhui, which lies upstream, must compensate Zhejiang 100 million yuan ($15 million) to cover its water treatment costs.

If the overall annual water quality is above the standard, it means Anhui has fulfilled its responsibility in protecting the river and Zhejiang must give Anhui 100 million yuan to help it cover the costs of its ecological preservation work.

In addition, the central government sets aside 300 million yuan each year to support Anhui's efforts in maintaining water quality.

Thanks to Anhui's measures, water flowing to Zhejiang has met the quality standard every year since 2012, which means it qualifies to receive annual financial support from both Zhejiang and the central government. "Every year, the Xin'an River pours about 6 billion metric tons of clean water into Qiandao Lake, costing Zhejiang only 100 million yuan. It is really a good deal," Nie said. Last year, Zhejiang's average per capita GDP was $12,635; in Anhui it was $5,835.

Nie believes the Xin'an River management model offers valuable lessons for the protection of other big rivers, allowing better-off downstream provinces to help the often less-developed upstream regions protect local ecology and environment.