A drone sprays fertilizer over a rapeseed field in Donggan village, Wuyi county, Jinhua, Zhejiang province, on Jan 16. [Photo/IC]

Zhejiang province has released a work plan to promote "beautiful countryside" development, aimed at strengthening ecological protection in rural areas and accelerating agricultural transformation.

Issued by the Zhejiang Environmental Protection Bureau and 10 other departments, the plan sets phased targets, with at least 60 percent of counties expected to complete countywide beautiful countryside development by 2027. This will exceed 70 percent by 2030, with full coverage targeted for 2035.

The plan prioritizes stronger rural environmental protection, including maintaining rural domestic wastewater treatment rates above 95 percent by 2027 and achieving household-level treatment coverage exceeding 90 percent.

Long-term maintenance mechanisms will be strengthened to ensure effective management of small and medium rural water bodies, while black and malodorous waters and large areas of substandard water quality will be dynamically eliminated.

To promote green and low-carbon agriculture, the plan calls for tighter protection of farmland soil, including source-based control of heavy metal pollution. Use of organic fertilizer and straw return will be expanded to improve soil quality, while agricultural waste management will be strengthened.

The plan also emphasizes energizing rural development through new industries and business models. Measures include land consolidation and ecological restoration, expansion of integrated urban-rural public services, and the promotion of clean energy substitution in rural areas. Agricultural processing, rural tourism, and the protection and utilization of historical villages, cultural heritage sites, and traditional rural landscapes will also be advanced.