How the River Chief System Achieved River Pollution Control: Analysis Based on AGIL Paradigm

Abstract

The implementation of China’s water pollution control policy is facing challenges. The current situation requires that China’s water pollution control must be transformed from a hierarchical management system to a collaborative governance model, which has led to the emergence of the river chief system (RCS). Firstly, this research analyzes the water quality in the lower Yangtze River Basin in the past five years, and the results show that the overall water quality of the study area has improved. Secondly, this research is conducted from the perspective of the four functions of adaptation (A), goal attainment (G), integration (I), and latency pattern maintenance (L), using the AGIL paradigm as a model to analyze the operation of RCS and carry out a cross-study on environmental protection and public policy, which provides a precedent for future public policy research and discussion. Finally, based on the AGIL paradigm, this research puts forward the development direction of RCS, which provides experience and theoretical support for other countries’ watershed pollution research.