LocationsFrom Pollution Control to Scalable Solutions: How the Minjiang River Basin pilot is keeping rivers cleaner as industry grows
March 22, 2026
Minjiang River, Sichuan, China
The Minjiang River is a major tributary of the upper Yangtze and a lifeline for the Sichuan Basin’s communities, ecosystems, and industries - serving as a primary water source for agriculture, industry, and urban populations, including through the densely populated and industrialised Sichuan Basin.
As industrial activity expands, protecting the river becomes more complex. Wastewater flows are diverse, some streams have high levels of nitrogen, and treatment systems can struggle to meet stricter requirements consistently. Water treatment can also be energy intensive, which makes it harder to align environmental management with low-carbon development aspirations and strategies of China.
Beautiful China in Action: Tianfu Ecological Gathering - World Environment Day Public Welfare Event
To respond, the Minjiang River Basin Typical Industrial City Water Environment Governance Demonstration Project was jointly launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the China Center for International Economic and Technological Exchanges (CICETE) under the Ministry of Commerce, and The Coca-Cola Foundation in (2023).
The project has been activities are implemented by the Sichuan Development Environmental Science and Technology Research Institute (hereafter “Sichuan Development Environmental Research Institute”) with pilot demonstration site established in the Meishan High-Tech Industrial Park.
Symposium on the Progress of the Project Between the Water Program Office and the Chuanfa Environmental Research Institute
Clearer standards for water pollution control
Through this pilot, UNDP together with partners, have supported the development of a new local standards and indicators to enhance governance of chemicals produced by industrial parks in Sichuan. The new indicators introduced (e.g. saltiness and short-term toxicity), which are based on specific technical parameters goes beyond the traditional generic and broad-based criterial.
The impact is straightforward: clearer rules reduce grey areas, strengthen accountability, and help to more efficiently prevent pollution before it reaches the rivers.
New treatment approaches to clean and reuse wastewater
In addition to establishing new standards for managing water pollution, the project has also piloted new approaches to help wastewater facilities actually meet these standards, by improving their ability to remove key pollutants and enhancing the treatment process by making it more efficient and consistent.
The focus has been on practical upgrades that have improved how treatment systems work under varying conditions, to better ensure that the water that leaves Meishan High-Tech Industrial Park's wastewater treatment facility is cleaner, and can be managed more safely.
Anaerobic Ammonia Oxidation Pilot Experimental Base
For example, biological processes leveraging specific types of bacteria have been introduced that have successfully helped to more effectively remove nitrogen and other pollutants from wastewater linked to kitchen waste processing. As a result of this and similar processes, the annual treatment capacity of the wastewater treatment facility has increased by over 7 percent.
Water Testing Center at the Pilot Demonstration Site
Project work has resulted in more than 10 authorised patents, indicating that these methods and approaches have been developed into practical, transferable solutions.
Public engagement that helps river protection last
To ensure community engagement and to raise awareness of the importance of water governance management, outreach and education activities were organized around World Water Day and World Environment Day.
Students visited the wastewater treatment plant to see how water is cleaned step by step, and they took part in hands-on learning activities. Community residents joined practical workshops such as up cycling and waste-to-resource activities. Women-focused workshops combined environmental awareness with intangible cultural heritage handicrafts.
Students Visit Wastewater Treatment Plant in Meishan High-Tech Industrial Park to Learn About Recycling Wastewater
Nearly 1,300 people participated, with approximately 80 percent women and over 41 percent children. Post-activity surveys indicated a nearly 50 percent increase in participants' awareness and willingness to practice water recycling and treatment. These numbers prove that technical solutions become stronger when people understand why they matter and how everyday choices connect to water protection.
"Turning Waste into Treasure" Activity Carried out by the Community
What comes next?
The Minjiang River Basin pilot demonstrates that industrial water governance is strongest when it combines clear standards, workable technologies, and community participation, and when solutions are designed to be replicated across different cities.
Building on results in Meishan and other prefecture-level applications, UNDP and its partners will continue to strengthen precise pollution control and support wider dissemination of proven approaches, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
