"The Yangtze River Protection Law regards the Yangtze River basin as a space with a boundary range, focuses on solving the spatial imbalance in the Yangtze River basin, and establishes a legal system for spatial development and control of national land with spatial characteristics." On February 23, the relevant person in charge of the Regulations Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources said at a press conference on the implementation of the Yangtze River Protection Law held by the General Office of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress.

　　The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Yangtze River, which was considered and adopted at the 24th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress, is the first watershed protection law in China and will come into force on March 1, 2021. The special press conference invited the NPC Environment and Resources Committee, the Standing Committee of the Legal Affairs Committee, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the relevant departments responsible for the introduction of the law and answer questions from reporters.

　　From the perspective of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the biggest highlight of the Yangtze River Protection Law is its spatial nature, said the person in charge of the regulations department of the Ministry of Natural Resources at the conference. "Because the Yangtze River basin is both a natural spatial unit with water as the link and foundation, and a social spatial unit for human production and life."

　　Among a series of important systems identified in the Yangtze River Protection Law, unified territorial spatial planning and effective zoning and classification use control are important grasps to implement ecological priority, green development and the total protection and not to engage in large development. The relevant person in charge of the Department of Regulations of the Ministry of Natural Resources introduced specific measures and policy arrangements in this regard at the meeting. First of all, the natural resources survey and publication system will be the basis of spatial control of the national land. Through the survey on the status of natural resources such as land, minerals, water flow, forests, grasslands and wetlands in the Yangtze River basin, a natural resources base map and natural resources monitoring network in the Yangtze River basin have been established, so that the natural space control in the Yangtze River basin is based on a clear home base and a base map. Secondly, the legal status of the national spatial planning of the Yangtze River basin has been established from the legal level, requiring the arrangement of ecological, agricultural, urban and other functional spaces in the national spatial planning of the Yangtze River basin, and the use of water resources, water pollution prevention and control, shoreline use, shipping development and other spatial utilization tasks are led by the national spatial planning, promoting the development pattern of social utilization, urban development pattern, industrial structure adjustment and resource and environmental carrying capacity The spatial planning will lead the spatial utilization tasks such as water resources utilization, water pollution prevention, shoreline use and shipping development, and promote the development pattern of social utilization, urban development pattern and industrial structure adjustment with the bearing capacity of resources and environment. Again, spatial zoning, classified use control and planning permission will be used as a means of spatial control in the Yangtze River Basin. All land space development activities in the Yangtze River Basin must conform to the Yangtze River Basin Land Space Plan, and be subject to zoning and classification use control by local natural resource authorities above the county level in the Yangtze River Basin in accordance with the Land Space Plan, and obtain planning permission in accordance with the law. Finally, a strict legal liability system is put in place as a safeguard for the Yangtze River Basin Territorial Spatial Watershed, and legal responsibility for illegal acts in the Yangtze River Basin is investigated in accordance with the law.

　　The Yangtze River Protection Law establishes the principle of national governance of the Yangtze River Basin ecosystem with natural restoration as the main focus and a combination of natural and artificial restoration. The relevant person in charge of the Department of Regulations of the Ministry of Natural Resources said that the implementation of the "Yangtze River Protection Law", the Ministry of Natural Resources will focus on four aspects of ecological protection and restoration. First, to carry out research on major issues of ecological protection and restoration in the Yangtze River basin, including a survey of the natural environmental background and changes in the Yangtze River basin, and a study of the water balance upstream and downstream of the Yangtze River, with the aim of finding the nature and laws of respect for nature in ecological protection and restoration. Second, in conjunction with relevant departments to organize the preparation of the Yangtze River basin ecological environment restoration planning, according to the planning and implementation of major ecological environment restoration projects in the Yangtze River basin, the good use of state funds. Third, in accordance with the order of highlighting the security function, ecological function, taking into account the landscape function, with the system concept to promote the systematic protection and restoration of the Yangtze River basin mountains, water, forests, lakes and grass. Fourth, support and encourage social capital to participate in the ecological protection and restoration of the Yangtze River basin. "To encourage social investment, we must find the profit point, that is, how to earn money through ecological protection and restoration. Only then can social capital be brought in well." The person in charge said.

Reprinted from China Natural Resources News http://www.mnr.gov.cn/dt/ywbb/202102/t20210224_2614830.html