tailieunhanh - Environmental pollution in China: Status and trends

Mining wastes can cause significant ecological destruction. Often, solid mine wastes are dumped into streams, destroying habitat and causing siltation and heavy metal and other contamination. Even when such wastes are stored out of water channels, trace materials can leach into surface waters and infiltrate into local groundwater. Fine- grained tailings can wash into local waterways and degrade streams by covering and filling coarser-grained substrates. Such sedimentation increases stream turbidity, decreasing net primary productivity and smothering the eggs of fish and other aquatic organisms, and it can alter stream flow dynamics. The pace of urbanization is increasing globally, putting more pressure. | Environmental pollution in China Status and trends Haakon Vennemo Kristin Aunan Henrik Lindhjem Hans Martin Seip The state of China s environment is receiving attention from all over the world. This article reviews the current status and trends of environmental pollution in China. We argue that China is able to contain and to some extent improve air and water quality for the urban population at the local level. The situation is uneven when it comes to problems at the regional level. On the one hand surface water quality in the South is improving and particle emissions are stable. On the other hand nitrogen oxide emissions are increasing rapidly and even sulfur oxide emissions are on the rise despite intense publicity to bring sulfur down. Of global concern CO2 emissions have grown rapidly in recent years but we argue that future growth is likely to be slower. Overall China appears to be following a path similar to the one plodded by more industrialized countries. Keywords China pollution JEL classification Q51 Q53 Q58 Introduction According to official Chinese publications China has made great progress in improving its environment. For example the State of Environment SOE Report of 1998 states There has been continuing progress in the control of total amount of pollutants and industrial pollution sources and a comprehensive urban environmental improvement. According to the SOE of 1 2000 Tremendous efforts have been made in abating environmental pollution with a focus on water pollution prevention and control in key river basins cities regions and marine areas and industrial pollution control. The SOE 2006 offers a reassuring message Uniting all social forces and mobilizing the initiatives of each stakeholder we have created a new situation where environmental protection is facilitated by all parties. On the other hand some researchers commentators and the media in the West paint a wholly negative picture. For example Economy 2007 finds that water pollution and .