North China's Shanxi province has achieved strong results in the environmental protection of the Yellow River basin since 2019, according to a press conference held in the provincial capital Taiyuan on Sept 8. 

The province has issued a series of relevant plans, improved policies and measures relating to air quality improvement, water environmental protection in key river basins, and soil, groundwater, and rural environmental protection. 

From January to August this year, among the 58 sections in the Yellow River basin in Shanxi that participated in the national evaluation, 46 sections were of good water quality, an increase of nine sections over the same period last year. 

The average air quality index of counties in the Yellow River basin was 4.31, a year-on-year decrease of 5.1 percent; the average PM2.5 (particles that are 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller and are harmful to health) concentration was 35 micrograms per square meter, a year-on-year decrease of 2.8 percent; and the average number of days with good air quality was 73.3 percent. 

The treatment rate of domestic sewage in Shanxi's rural areas has reached 14 percent, and the province has completed the treatment of black and odorous water bodies in 59 villages. 

Eight counties across the province have been recognized as national demonstration areas for ecological civilization construction. 

The province has also organized biodiversity surveys and assessments, investigating and rectifying problems related to the destruction of the environment in nature reserves. 

The cities of Taiyuan and Jincheng have made the list of developing zero-waste cities during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) by the Ministry of Ecology and the Environment. 

Next, Shanxi will further promote the comprehensive management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmland, lakes, grasslands and sandy areas, strengthen cooperation with provinces and regions along the Yellow River, and contribute to the ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River basin.