'River chiefs': The heroes behind China's dramatic freshwater clean-up

By the end of 2015, many of China's rivers and lakes were starting to bear the strain of the country's rapid development. The next year, China launched the river chief system, assigning responsibility to individuals to help monitor its vast network of freshwater bodies. Within a decade of its launch, hundreds of thousands of river chiefs across China have helped breathe new life into the country's freshwater sources. CGTN's Bhargab Sarmah explains the river chief system and the numbers behind the revitalization of China's rivers and lakes. 📺 Subscribe to our YouTube channel and stay updated with our latest analysis and interviews:👇 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgrNz-aDmcr2uuto8_DL2jg 👈 Download our APP on Apple Store (iOS): https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cctvnews-app/id922456579?l=zh&ls=1&mt=8 Download our APP on Google Play (Android): https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.imib.cctv For more: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-08-13/-River-chiefs-The-heroes-behind-China-s-dramatic-freshwater-clean-up-1Pzwrc0WtJS/p.html Most watched videos: Impossible Challenge: 30 seconds to count banknotes BLINDFOLDED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmP_Ybj-jws Impossible Challenge: Gymnastics Boy Arat Hosseini from Iran! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sxX--U4c8w Impossible Challenge: How to calm babies in 5 seconds? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR3q9sXM7WA