The Yangtze River Delta,characterized by its dense river network,constitutes a vital part of the Yangtze River Basin.To achieve integrated protection and coordinated management,this study examines the current governance of trans-provincial rivers and lakes in this region under the framework of integrated collaborative management,focusing on collaborative legislation,joint law enforcement,and coordinated judicial efforts.Although these approaches have yielded some collaborative successes in practice,challenges remain,including lack of cross-regional integrity of collaborative legislation,unclear responsibilities and authority in joint law enforcement,and insufficient judicial coordination.To address these issues,this paper advocates for transitioning the governance of trans-provincial rivers and lakes in the Yangtze River Delta to a collaborative legislative model.This model aims to clarify the roles and responsibilities in joint law enforcement,enhance judicial synergy within the basin,and establish a unified governance framework that integrates legislation,law enforcement,and justice.Such efforts will solidify the ecological foundation for managing trans-provincial rivers and lakes and promote ecological co-protection and benefit-sharing.