BLACK-NECKED cranes were leisurely playing in wetlands, casting arc-shaped reflections on the clear water; more than 200 sheep were strolling on a hillside on the bank of a section of the Yangtze River.

These were live feeds from a monitoring system on water resources and wildlife set up in the Sanjiangyuan area in Northwest China, which contains the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers.

The system is composed of video cameras at multiple observation points, a private network that allows real-time video feeds, and a management and control platform, forming an important part of the ecological monitoring network in Sanjiangyuan.

Over recent years, China has vigorously strengthened the protection of water resources as part of its efforts to build a green, beautiful and sustainable future. In the process, the latest technological innovations have played a big part in boosting the efficiency and effectiveness of water resources management.

The Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province, which administers a part of the Sanjiangyuan area, delivers about 29.7 billion cubic meters of clean water to downstream regions on average every year. It is home to the world’s most primitive and largest alpine ecosystem, where glaciers, snow-capped mountains and high-altitude wetlands play a key role in the conservation of river headwaters.

Yushu has in recent years spent more than 8 million yuan (US$1.16 million) on building the monitoring system, said Dorga, head of the Yushu ecology and environment bureau, adding that 35 observation points have been set up in the prefecture.

In 2017, the water quality of 12 rivers in Tianjin, including the main stream of the Haihe River, was graded below Class V, which means too polluted for any purpose, including irrigation.

In recent years, the local government started a campaign against water pollution by using advanced devices, including unmanned ships equipped with sonar, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and satellite remote sensing.

After a suspected case of pollution is detected, monitoring experts rely on satellite remote sensing for information about nearby enterprises, residential areas and business districts, before making field trips to pinpoint the source of the pollution.

Now, the water quality of 12 rivers in Tianjin has significantly improved, upgrading to class IV in general, which is suitable for agricultural and certain industrial uses. (Xinhua)