Chaohu Lake is an important node for the protection of the Yangtze River. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Hefei City has adhered to the guidance of Xi Jinping’s ecological civilization thought, conscientiously implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial Government on comprehensively building a beautiful Yangtze River (Anhui) Economic Belt with clear water, green river banks and beautiful industries, and building a beautiful Chaohu Lake with green development.

The comprehensive management of Chaohu Lake has been promoted with the efforts of the whole city. Among them, strengthening wetland protection and restoration is regarded as an important measure for the endogenous management of Chaohu Lake. In accordance with the concept of basin planning and system management, 10 wetlands with a total area of 100 square kilometers have been built around the core issues of wetland protection such as habitat, water system, water quality and water quantity, with a total planting of 410,000 trees, 3.354 million square meters of shrubs and 9.06 million square meters of aquatic vegetation.

By building wetlands around Chaohu Lake, the functions of wetland ecosystems in regulating floods, purifying water quality, storing nutrients, and maintaining biodiversity have been significantly improved. The wetlands act as “filters” for rivers entering the lake, increasing their aggregation effects and ecological benefits.

Firstly, the ecological functions of wetlands have been continuously improved, restoring 65,000 acres of wetlands and purifying up to 1.2 million cubic meters of water daily.

Secondly, the flood regulation capacity has been significantly enhanced. The ten major wetlands around the lake accumulated 269 million cubic meters of flood water in the severe flood disaster in the Chaohu Lake Basin in 2020, minimizing the amount of water entering the lake and effectively protecting the safety of the main urban area.

Thirdly, agricultural non-point source pollution has been effectively reduced. By implementing the “returning farmland, retiring aquaculture, and returning place of residence to wetlands”, the pollution caused by planting, breeding, and residents’ lives has been greatly reduced, making a positive contribution to the improvement of Chaohu Lake’s water quality.

Fourthly, biodiversity is richer. The number of plants and bird species recorded in Chaohu Lake wetland resources has increased significantly. More and more rare birds such as Oriental White Storks, White Spoonbills, Red-breasted Mergansers, and Demoiselle Cranes choose to live and reproduce here.

Fifthly, the beautiful scenery of “green mountains on three sides and a lake on one side” has reappeared, attracting more local residents and tourists to the area around Chaohu Lake, greatly enhancing citizens’ sense of gain, happiness, and security.