With the continued implementation of the River and Lake Chief System

river and lake management and protection has been transitioning toward multi-stakeholder governance

yet practical challenges remain

including heavy workloads at the grassroots level

tokenistic public participation

and inadequate participation channels. Taking Guangzhou as a case study

this paper systematically reviews the development of the “Building a Clear Water Dream” initiative and examines the practical pathways and operating mechanisms for multi-stakeholder participation in river and lake management and protection. The results show that Guangzhou has effectively mobilized diverse stakeholders by improving organizational systems

strengthening capacity support

establishing integrated platforms

developing innovative coordination mechanisms

and diversifying “water protection +” activities. These efforts have contributed to significant achievements: all national-and pro-vincial-level surface-water assessment sections have met the required water quality standards since 2020

with water quality' remaining at good or excellent levels throughout 2024—2025. Guangzhou's experience demonstrates that in-depth

orderly

and sustained public participation is key to improving the effectiveness of river and lake governance. To address problems such as tokenistic participation and the insufficient sustainability of volunteer service station operations

this paper proposes measures to improve participation mechanisms

ensure sustainable station operations

strengthen collaborative networks

and build participation capacity

thereby providing a transferable approach to participatory river and lake governance in megacities.