Rivers in China's Gansu get electronic identities

Northwest China's Gansu Province has replaced information signs with "electronic identities" for its 12,299 rivers, local authorities said, according to The Xinhua News Agency reports.

The e-ID refers to a QR code, which can be scanned to obtain basic information about the river -- name, length, mouth and source, but also responsibilities of the river chief and the number of complaints hotline, said the provincial department of water resources.

"The e-ID can help strengthen the dynamic management of the rivers while reducing the production costs to update the information signs", – said Meng Zhaofang, a department official.

"It can also encourage the public to participate in river management and ensure better social supervision", – Meng said.