Targets set to restore degraded grassland

The State Council General Office has issued a guideline for authorities on fixing loopholes and weak links in the protection and restoration of grassland nationwide.

According to the guideline released on March 30, a preliminary system for grassland protection and restoration should be established by 2025, by which time deterioration will have been fundamentally curbed. By 2035, the system will be further improved. By the middle of the century, all degraded grassland should be restored and the ecosystem functioning properly, the guideline said.

A monitoring and evaluation team will be established to ensure the goals are achieved and a system of standards put in place. Herder settlements should be properly planned to prevent them contributing to the deterioration of surrounding grassland, it added.

Technologies and equipment should be used to develop grass seeds, restore degraded vegetation, build artificial grasslands and prevent pest infestations. Professionals in grassland science will be further cultivated to support the efforts.

The guideline said the number of grazing animals should be cut, and the standard of scientific breeding and grazing management raised to reduce pressure on natural grassland.

New goals, tools to boost reservoirs' security

Goals have been outlined for departments and localities to remove potential risks from reservoirs to ensure the safety of the public, according to a circular released by the General Office of the State Council.

Safety assessments have identified 256 large and medium-sized reservoirs nationwide as having hazards, said the circular released on April 2.

Financial support should come from the central budget for reinforcement work, and reservoirs completed after 2000 should come under further scrutiny.

A national reservoir management system for filing, auditing and updating management information should be established, and information technologies such as 5G, big data and artificial intelligence further promoted, the document said.

The circular called for encouraging local and private investment and piloting social capital in the operation of small reservoirs.

Equipment for monitoring reservoirs' safety should be built to improve oversight, it added. Each reservoir's flood contingency plan should be revised and necessary management practices and equipment put in place, the circular said.

It called for greater oversight of procedures such as surveys, design, construction, quality and funds used for reinforcement work.

Environmental protection and restoration work should also be stepped up, the circular said.

Draft road safety law opened for suggestions

A campaign soliciting public suggestions on a draft revision of the road traffic safety law has been launched by the Ministry of Public Security. The revision will deal with emerging problems and risks in the area, the ministry's website posted on Saturday.

Its specific focuses are improving traffic management and road conditions as well as regulations on handling traffic accidents. The public can submit suggestions before April 23, according to the ministry.

Some first or casual offenders with minor traffic violations may receive warnings and be exempted from punishment on the condition that they volunteer for activities that benefit the public and are related to traffic safety, according to the revision.

Repeat offenders and those guilty of driving while impaired by drugs or other substances may face heavier punishments.

The revision also proposes designating Dec 2 as national traffic safety day.