A campaign was launched in Hechi, Guangxi, aimed at protecting water resources and improving the water environment, on March 26.

The action coincided with the 24th World Water Day on March 22 and the 19th China Water Week from March 22 to 28.

Hechi's water conservation department arranged for information desks at Siyuan Square in the central urban area to help answer people's questions and promote awareness of local water laws and regulations. A total of 80 volunteers then rode bicycles around the city carrying colorful flags adorned with slogans promoting healthy concepts about water.

From March 22 to May 30, Hechi will also broadcast a series of advertisements aimed at raising water issue awareness across large public outdoor screens throughout the city.

Hechi has a total of 635 rivers yielding an average annual gross of 25.7 billion cubic meters of water, 13.6 percent of that of Guangxi as a total. Although the local water conservation department has prioritized water resource management, water quality safety is still under threat from industrial, domestic and rural non-point source pollution.

The department hopes that water week will raise awareness of the potential threats to water resources and help to protect water in the future.

Eighty volunteers ride bicycles around Hechi on March 26 to promote water resource protection. [Photo by Qin Chufang/ hcwang.cn]

Edited by Owen Fishwick