Southwest China's Yunnan Province hasl stopped approving small hydropower stations and mines along its stretch of the Nujiang River, according to the province's deputy governor.

Inefficient hydropower stations and mines along the Nujiang will also be shut down, and similar measures will be applied on the Jinshajiang River, said Zhang Zulin on Thursday at a conference held to coordinate measures protecting the upper streams of the larger Yangtze River.

There are concerns that excessive numbers of dams and mines in the area are damaging ecosystems, causing pollution and limiting water flow.

Zhang said the Yunnan government is putting a lot of effort into environmental protection. The province has 158 nature reserves, covering almost 10 percent of its land.