Abstract: Joint prevention and control for trans-provincial rivers and lakes is the key and difficult problem in river and lake management. Modernizing the system and capacity of river and lake governance requires a coordinated overall planning of river basin and a joint prevention and control for trans-provincial rivers and lakes under the river chief system. The defects of joint prevention and control for trans-provincial rivers and lakes are summarized and analyzed in terms of the institutional system, the capacity of performing duties, the planning for river basin, the unified monitoring, joint law enforcement, and supervision and assessment. In the light of advanced experience of river basin management in China and abroad, some improvement suggestions are put forward based on the river chief system. The research is expected to provide scientific basis and enlightenment to the policy-making for a high-quality development of water conservancy.

Key words: river chief system, high-quality development of water conservancy, trans-provincial rivers and lakes, joint prevention and control, river basin planning, joint law enforcement