China plans to strengthen the protection of its water bodies by establishing a regular census system for rivers and lakes and introducing a target-based management system to ensure flows that meet basic ecological needs.

Li Guoying, minister of water resources, shared the information on Monday while presenting a draft revision to the country's Water Law to China's top legislature for initial review.

Reporting to an ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, he said the revision created a dedicated chapter for river and lake management and conservation.

It stipulated the establishment of a regular census system for rivers and lakes at the state level and also the implementation of a directory-based management system for them, he said.

The chapter also mandated that management boundaries and shoreline protection zones be delineated for rivers and lakes, along with related management and protection measures.

In another move to strengthen water body conservation, he said the revision ruled that reasonable targets for ecological flow control and flow release from water projects be set to better guarantee ecological water use for the country's rivers and lakes.