Table 1.

Essential actions to rehabilitate China’s freshwater biodiversity

Action	Benefits	Feasibility	Implementation
1. Promulgate statutes for all stressor-producing entities	Sets goals, objectives & quantitative targets for discharges & ambient levels	Based on US Clean Water Act & EU Water Framework Directive successes	China central government: Promulgate & coordinate river basin regulations
2. Develop comprehensive ecological implementation & effectiveness monitoring & assessment programs	Identify individual stressor-producing entities meeting or failing to meet targets Assess spatial extent of ecological effectiveness	Based on US Clean Water Act & EU Water Framework Directive successes	China Ministry of Ecology & Environment: Coordinate & integrate local programs into nationwide programs
3. Implement basin-scale long-term fishing bans	Provide sufficient time for aquatic biota to recover	Based on current seasonal closures; shift food sources to aquaculture	China Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Affairs: maintain & expand current fishing ban programs
4. Quantify impacts from multiple pressure types	Help focus additional regulatory efforts & adaptive management	Based on US Clean Water Act & EU Water Framework Directive successes	Research institutes, universities & government agencies: Quantify impacts & rank pressures
5. Regulate all anthropogenic pressures	Reduce physical, chemical & biological stressors; improve human health & quality of life	Based on US Clean Water Act & EU Water Framework Directive successes	China central government: Coordinate provincial & local governments to prioritize & regulate pressures
6. Conduct basin-scale physical habitat rehabilitation	Improve physical habitat conditions for aquatic & riparian biota	Technically doable and required by the China central government	China central government: Educate provincial & local governments to prioritize & conduct ecological rehabilitation