Abstract:Taking the city of Nantong as the research object, its evolution path from single water project construction to the governance of the entire water system is analyzed. The research shows that facing weak hydrodynamics in plain river networks and a mismatch between water-security risks and high-quality development needs, the new water management concept of “systematic thinking, regionalized governance, precise dispatching and long-term management and maintenance” is established in Nantong. Taking the construction of a modern water network as the core approach, the positive achievements have been made in ensuring the water security, improving the water environment and optimizing the allocation of water resources. However, as Nantong enters a new stage of development, it still faces the deep-seated challenges such as insufficient resilience in water security, weak transformation of water ecological value, and the lack of prominent leading role of water culture. It is proposed to provide a model for water management and development that can be referred for coastal plain river network areas by strengthening resilient defense lines, activating ecological value, shaping cultural brands and deepening intelligent empowerment.