The Three Gorges Reservoir region, home to the world's largest hydropower project, has achieved notable progress in biodiversity conservation, with thousands of rare plant species successfully relocated, according to the China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC).
To date, over 2,160 rare species -- totaling more than 32,000 individual plants -- have been relocated from the Three Gorges Reservoir region to the company's Yangtze River rare plant breeding base, with a survival rate exceeding 90 percent.
Meanwhile, the region has completed 12.8 square kilometers of ecological restoration, achieving a vegetation recovery rate of 83.7 percent, the CTGC said.
The Three Gorges Reservoir region covers about 10,000 square km along the Yangtze River, China's longest waterway.
Its vast and complex water-level fluctuation zone and land-water ecotone pose great challenges for biodiversity conservation, spurring a series of innovative ecological protection and restoration practices.
In recent years, efforts alike have continued to improve the environment across the Yangtze River basin, yielding fruitful biodiversity conservation outcomes.
"The proportion of Grade I-III water in the Yangtze River Economic Belt has risen from 67 percent in 2015 to 96.5 percent. Over 90 percent of black and odorous water bodies in county-level cities within the belt have been cleaned up. The region's share of national GDP has increased from 42.3 percent to 47 percent. High-level ecological and environmental protection has effectively supported high-quality development, setting an example for large river protection and management," said Wang Zhibin, director general of the Department of Science, Technology and Finance of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment.
Since its construction began in 1994, the Three Gorges project has evolved into a comprehensive water-control system featuring a 2,309-meter-long and 185-meter-high dam, twin five-tier ship locks, and 34 turbo-generators with a total installed capacity of 22.5 million kilowatts.
Three Gorges Reservoir region sees success in biodiversity conservation
