Recently, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Ecology and Environment jointly reviewed the second batch of integrated natural protection and restoration projects to be implemented during the 14th "Five-Year Plan" period. The integrated natural protection and restoration project in Jingjiang section of the Yangtze River and Honghu Lake, which was declared by Hubei Province and stood out among the 19 declared projects in the whole country, has passed the review and will receive the support of 2 billion yuan from the Central government.

According to the plan, the aforesaid project covers eight counties and cities and districts in Jingzhou, with a total area of 14,100 square kilometers and a total investment of 7.215 billion yuan, including 2 billion yuan awarded by the Central government awarded. The project will create a pattern of "one axis, four areas and multiple nodes" for restoration: "one axis" refers to the main axis of ecological protection and restoration of the Yangtze River, covering the main stream of the Yangtze River and a 5-kilometer-long shoreline, with a total length of 483 kilometers and an area of 5,351.53 square kilometers. The "four areas" are Honghu Ecological Conservation Area, Changhu Ecological Conservation Area, Jianghan Plain Ecological Restoration and Green Transformation Demonstration Area and Dongting Lake Basin (Hubei) Ecological Function Promotion Area.

The project includes 39 key sub-projects in 10 categories, including shoreline protection and restoration, ecological protection and restoration of lakes and wetlands, water system connection and biodiversity protection. The project, which will last 3 years, will kick off at the end of this year.

After its implementation, the project will effectively solve the outstanding ecological environment problems in the region, such as the weaknesses in the protection of the Yangtze River shoreline, degradation of the lake and wetland ecosystem, insufficient protection of the farmland ecosystem, and threat to biodiversity. The total area of ecological protection and restoration will reach 24,937 hectares, and the estimated annual carbon sink capacity will be around 296,000 tons.