On March 5th, the day of Jingzhe (Awakening of Insects), the Ministry of Ecology and Environment conducted a livestream event, focusing its lens on Chizhou, a small city in southern Anhui. The Yangtze River was beginning to swell, willows on the banks were sprouting green, and migratory birds were fluttering their wings by Shengjin Lake.

Why was Chizhou chosen as the livestream location? Because as "spring's class bell" rings, the area unfolds a magnificent new ecological picture of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.

In recent years, Mr. Xu, a resident of Chizhou, has had an intuitive feeling: there are more and more blue sky days. Data confirms this: the PM2.5 concentration dropped from 34.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020 to 31.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2025, with air quality consistently ranking among the top three in the province.

Data also shows that in 2025, the proportion of state-monitored sections with excellent Class I to III water quality reached 90.9%, an increase of 5.2 percentage points compared to the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. The water quality of the main stem of the Yangtze River (Chizhou section) remained stable at Class II, and the water quality compliance rate of centralized drinking water sources at the county level and above has remained at 100% for five consecutive years.

How rich is Chizhou's ecological heritage? A set of data provides the answer: The city took the lead in the province in completing a baseline survey of county-level biodiversity, discovering 53 new record species for Anhui Province, and even identifying one new global species. This land harbors a vibrant vitality that exceeds people's imagination.

Chizhou has strengthened biodiversity regulation and systematic restoration, promoting the continuous optimization of the ecological environment. The city has strictly implemented ecological and environmental zoning controls and the supervision of protected natural areas, completing ecological protection effectiveness assessments for the Shengjin Lake and Guniujiang National Nature Reserves. Notably, a promotional video on biodiversity protection in the Guniujiang Nature Reserve was presented on the United Nations stage, showcasing China's grassroots achievements in biodiversity conservation to the world.

Recently, a reporter visited the Chizhou Municipal Bureau of Ecology and Environment and was greeted by a giant electronic screen, displaying real-time data on air quality, water quality monitoring, and emissions from key pollution sources. This is the city's comprehensive "Smart Environmental Protection" platform.

Ecological protection has long ceased to be a solo performance by the government; it has become a systematic project supported by the entire society. Ecological environmental protection is not a constraint on development but rather a driver and catalyst for high-quality development.

Source: Anhui Daily