In May 2024, while participating in the Wuxi Lihu Ecological Design Festival on Bogong Island, Liu Hongzhi looked at the clear Taihu Lake and her thoughts drifted back to the terrifying cyanobacteria crisis in 2007.
Liu Hongzhi has long been engaged in work related to water (governance and management).（ieepaphoto）
At that time, she was serving as the vice mayor of Wuxi on a temporary assignment. On May 29, 2007, cyanobacteria in Taihu Lake exploded wildly, severely polluting the tap water in Wuxi. Millions of citizens were plunged into a water shortage, and drinking water in supermarkets was snapped up in an instant.
In the critical moment, Liu Hongzhi was extremely anxious and contacted experts from all sides day and night. The Taihu Basin Authority of the Ministry of Water Resources quickly increased the amount of water diverted from the Yangtze River, stabilizing the water quality of the Xidong Waterworks, which supplied 20% of the residents in Wuxi. She urgently invited Zhang Xiaojian, the director of the Institute of Water Quality Science and Engineering at Tsinghua University. Zhang Xiaojian proposed using potassium permanganate oxidant and powdered activated carbon to treat the water quality. At the same time, the local meteorological department launched 39 rockets to carry out artificial rainfall. After 18 hours of all-out efforts, the normal water supply in Wuxi was finally restored on June 1.
As early as when Liu Hongzhi first arrived in Wuxi in 2006, she noticed that the concept of emphasizing the economy while neglecting environmental protection was deeply rooted. Entrepreneurs and some civil servants strongly resisted environmental protection work. After the water crisis, she embarked on a long - term governance path. For polluting enterprises, she implemented the "Environmental Protection Public Confession and Commitment System" and shut down, merged, transferred, or relocated 12,000 enterprises. To change the attitude of civil servants, she pioneered the "River Chief System", making "top leaders" at all levels responsible for river governance. Within just 100 days, the water quality of hundreds of rivers connected to Taihu Lake improved by one - third. In addition, she promoted the establishment of an environmental resources tribunal and an upstream - downstream ecological compensation mechanism.
The concept of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature is deeply rooted in Liu Hongzhi's heart.（ieepaphoto）
Once, in the governance of Taihu Lake, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai each went their own way and conflicts frequently occurred. However, the water crisis in 2007 made the two provinces and one municipality realize that ecological governance required breaking administrative barriers and collaborating. Now, a governance pattern of "sharing weal and woe" has been formed. Although Liu Hongzhi has left Wuxi for many years, she has always paid attention to the governance of Taihu Lake. Now, Taihu Lake has achieved "safe summers" for 16 consecutive years. Wuxi has also transformed from a traditional industrial model to high - quality development. Citizens pay more and more attention to a healthy lifestyle. The beautiful blueprint she envisioned back then has now become a reality.
the scenery of Taihu Lake (photo by Xinhua News Agency)
(Note: The content of this document is sourced from Shanghai Observer and Xinhua News Agency)
