An Integrated Rehabilitation of Urban Water Environment in Guilin City, China

An integrated rehabilitation program of the urban water environment (UWE), was proposed against deterioration of the UWE in Guilin City, China. Four measures of water conservancy, pollution control, ecological rehabilitation and landscape construction were developed to achieve many objectives including plentiful water, safe supply, steady system and attractive scenery. During the 1^st period project, a new lake, the Mulong Lake, was firstly constructed to connect the scenic lakes to the Li River. The cycled water system has promoted a waterborne tour around the city. As a result of the shortened water exchange periods, water environment capacity and self-purification capacity of the lakes have been enhanced. Moreover, water quality index of the lakes meet Grade III of the Chinese National Surface Water Standard through measures of the endogenous and extraneous pollution controls. Thirdly, hydrological connectivity has been especially achieved by median sieve embankment and urban diffusion pollution has been counterchecked by vegetation buffer strips construction. Finally, greenways along the Li River and around the lakes were reintegrated to stabilize the aquatic ecosystem. The project has improved the Guilin´s UWE significantly.