A photo shows the Yellow River passing through Gansu province, where the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau meet. [Photo by TIAN MANCHAO/FOR CHINA DAILY]

China's top legislature passed the Yellow River Protection Law on Sunday. Due to come into effect from April 1, the law elaborates water conservation on the river basin, ecological protection and restoration, conservation and intensive use of water resources, flood control and pollution prevention among other measures.

This is China's second river basin protection law after the law on the protection of the Yangtze River was adopted.

The Yellow River, the second longest river in China, is called the mother river of the Chinese nation. Since the founding of new China, large-scale governance and protection of the river has been carried out and remarkable achievements made. The introduction of the Yellow River Protection Law will further enhance the river's governance and protection.

The law covers a series of key issues, such as ecological environment fragility and water shortage. This means the settlement of some of the "pain points" that have long plagued the river now has a legal basis.

Various administrative regions in the Yellow River Basin area have often adopted their own measures in the river's protection and governance, resulting in low efficiency and even "independent governance". However, the new law states that an overall coordination mechanism for ecological protection and high-quality development of the Yellow River Basin will be established to review major policies, plans and projects, coordinate major cross-regional and cross-departmental issues, and supervise the implementation of relevant important work. It also talks of setting up a joint meeting system of inter-provincial river and lake chiefs.

The protection and governance of the Yellow River is a systematic and comprehensive project not limited to ecological dimensions. The law specifically highlights the need to strengthen the protection, inheritance and promotion of the Yellow River culture. The Yellow River basin is home to a lot of cultural relics, ancient documents and other important cultural heritage, and their protection is a very important part of the river's protection and governance, since it is of irreplaceable significance to promoting the inheritance of Chinese civilization.

The introduction of the Yellow River Protection Law marks a new milestone in the river's protection and governance, and all localities and departments should promptly work out detailed plans and faithfully implement the law in every aspect to ensure the mother river's protection and governance.