The country's urban air quality is expected to be more efficiently improved over the next decade now that the "Urban Air Pollution Control in China" programme has been completed, according to the China International Centre for Economic and Technical Exchange (CICETE).
The four-year programme, started and funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in 1997, was completed this month by CICETE and relative local governments.
A sector review report, a result of four years of close collaboration among over 200 domestic and international experts, was issued in Beijing Monday and tackles the causes of urban air pollution in five pilot cities around the country, focusing on developing scientific and economical means to control air pollution.
Sun Yongfu, vice-director of CICETE under the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation, spoke highly of the programme yesterday, noting that the findings of the programme, summarized in the newly released report, will contribute greatly to urban emission control across the country and encourage Chinese enterprises to use cleaner production methods and restrict emissions.
Macleod Nyirongo, deputy resident representative of the UNDP in China, also noted at the ceremony for the launching of the report that "how to develop clean cities" has become a major concern of the Chinese Government, as well as that of the international community.
The four-year programme includes five pilot city projects targeting different but complementary air pollution problems: sulphur dioxide and acid rain control in Guiyang in Southwest China's Guizhou Province, nitrogen oxide reduction in Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province, total suspended particulate (TSP) abatement in Xi'an in Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, industrial emission control through cleaner production in Benxi in Northeast China's Liaoning Province and vehicular emission restriction through transportation management in Beijing.
With the strong support of the central and local governments, experts have successfully developed corresponding strategies to control air pollution in the five cities, according to sources.
Vice-Director Sun noted that the experiences and lessons garnered from the five pilot cities soon will be extended to cities across the country to propel China's urban air pollution control efforts.
(China Daily November 27, 2001)
