North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region signed a framework agreement on a joint prevention and control mechanism for water pollution emergencies in trans-provincial river basins, according to information from the autonomous region's department of ecology and environment.

The cooperation agreement was signed by Inner Mongolia, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Gansu, Shanxi, Hebei, Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces.

The framework agreement clarifies the eight key tasks of establishing a collaborative system, strengthening research and early warning mechanisms, scientific pollution prevention and control, strengthening information notifications, implementing joint monitoring, coordinating pollution disposal, doing a good job in dispute resolution, and implementing basic guarantees.

Meanwhile, Inner Mongolia will carry out joint emergency drills with other provinces and autonomous regions to improve the prevention and control of water pollution.

Four out of the seven big rivers in China – the Yellow River, Songhua River, Liaohe River and Haihe River – flow through Inner Mongolia.

In recent years, Inner Mongolia has built a number of industrial parks in the river basins mentioned above. Enterprises in the coal chemical industry, salt chemical industry and other industries involving hazardous chemicals have put a lot of pressure on the environment and created potential environmental risks.

The establishment of the upstream and downstream joint prevention and control mechanism is an effective measure to prevent and respond to sudden water pollution incidents in trans-provincial river basins and prevent major ecological and environmental accidents.