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People action key to pollution control
(Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2005-10-31 15:21 About one-in-five people in
urban areas in China are living in severely polluted environments, according to
Zhang Lijun, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection
Administration.
He was speaking at an international symposium on improving air quality in
Beijing last Monday.
He pointed out that despite the measures taken by the government in pollution
control and environmental protection which had improved air quality in many
cities, the air quality was still below average international standards and was
not good enough for most people.
China is expected to undergo more profound change over the next 15 years.
With population still rising and the economy continuing to develop, the lack of
effective efforts to keep pollution under control could end up being disastrous
to the whole society.
Alongside the usual urban pollution issues such as smog and acid rain, some
new problems are also emerging.
The increase in the number of vehicles on city roads has added to the already
bad air pollution situation and the growing amount of waste that has to be
treated are destroying the natural eco-system of not only the cities but the
surrounding countryside as well.So, immediate attention must be given to
achieving sustainable development.
The campaign for the people must still be fought by the united efforts of the
people.
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