'Gold and silver'

When he assumed office in 2012, President Xi Jinping pledged to improve the environment and promote healthier lives for China's people, saying "clean water and lush mountains are as valuable as gold and silver".

As a result, the government has adopted a range of measures and encouraged greater public participation in safe-guarding the environment and controlling pollution. That has resulted in fewer cases of severe pollution in rivers and lakes nationwide, according to data released by the ministry.

China's rapid economic development and growing wealth have enabled the government to tackle the problem more effectively.

"The past five years have seen the adoption of the strongest environmental protection measures ever, along with the toughest implementation and enforcement, the biggest promotion and the best conservation performance," according to a statement released by the ministry.