Whitewater rafting expected to raise public awareness of water pollution in China

China’s growing fervor for outdoor sports, especially water sports, is poised to usher in a flood of public awareness about environmental protection issues, according to the leaders of an expedition down the only dam-free tributary of the Yangtze River.

During the expedition to Chishui River, Wang Bing, a leader of the group, pointed out that rafting, and especially whitewater rafting, is the best way to interact closely with a river while producing the least possible impact on the environment.

Hosted by a transportation and tourism development investment group for Zunyi, some 40 environmentalists, reporters and outdoor enthusiasts participated in the expedition, which lasted from April 23 to 28. Participants had the chance to inspect the river while rafting, cycling and jogging around it.

With a total length of over 400 kilometers, Chishui River originates in Zhenxiong County in Yunnan province. It cuts between Guizhou and Sichuan provinces before joining the Yangtze River in Hejiang County, Sichuan province. It is especially known for Kweichow Moutai liquor, made on the banks of the river in Guizhou's Maotai Township. The presence of the top liquor brand is allegedly a key reason why the river has so far been spared from dam construction, unlike so many other rivers in China.

“One can instantly see and smell the river and tell whether or not it is polluted. This motivates people to get involved and stop water pollution,” Wang noted.

Wang, also a renowned outdoor explorer, noted that Chishui River is currently the only tributary of the Yangtze River that has no dam project or dam construction plan.

“This has made it the only river that can flow freely in southern China. This is the original look of a river in China,” he explained.

Zhong Yu, another team leader and also the former head of Guangzhou-based NGO Greenovation:Hub, pointed out that NGOs in China could cooperate with outdoor enthusiasts on projects like pollution monitoring, instead of training volunteers for projects in the wild.

In fact, whitewater rafting has been widely used around the world in river-pollution detection, according to Lei Yuting, a team member from Greenpeace.

“Ordinary people can only observe a river from their perspective on land. Usually, only fishermen are able to truly interact with rivers. But rafting grants access for more people to closely interact with and protect rivers. Just as birdwatcher is the most keen protector of birds, a rafting enthusiast will be the most active in protecting a river,” said Zhong.