From: "TIAN, SHU-NING" <ontia@ttacs1.ttu.edu>
Subject: World Banks Report on China Environment
Organization: The Ohio State University; Department of Phyiscs
Date: Sun, 6 Sep 1992 20:47:23 GMT

 
                World Bank assails China on Environment
 
Source: Robert Berjiamin, 19/8/92. Baltimore Sun
From: Green China and Sino-ecologists Club Overseas (Sino-Eco)
 
Beijing -- China's environment is being destroyed a massive scale because
of the nation's rapid economics development, heavy population load, intensive
farming and weak regulatory efforts, a comprehensive World Bank report obtained
by THE SUN has concluded.
 
The two volume report -- the most comprehensive, independent study of China's
environmental problems -- offers a bleak forecast for much of the world's
largest nation.
 
"Drinking water in many cities is polluted and/or in short supply" the report
says, "The air also in cities is heavily polluted .. most wastewater from indust
ries and cities is dumped untreated in rivers, lakes and oceans, and domestics
garbage and industrial solid waste are piling up at edge of cities.  "If 
present trend continue, within next few decade China will lose almost all 
wildland outside its nation reserve -- a loss that will be irreversible" the 
report says, "The loss and degradation of ecosystem on this scale is matter of 
immediate urgency and concern.
 
The World Bank report was printed last April, but its distribution has been 
tightly restricted to official circles since the, pending a final draft.  The
study is based on information compiled during 1990 - 1991 with help of Chinese
government agencies. Some of its findings have been challenged by China's
National Environmental Protection Agency.
 
The agency has been discussing with World Bank expansion of World Bank's 
assistanceto Chinese for environment. ...... 
 
Specifically, the report cities these mounting problems:
* Water Quality: The full extent of water pollution in China is unknown because
studies have been limited, but only about 40% of China's city dwellers and about
 14% of its rural residents are estimated to have access to safe drinking water.
At least 60% of the population drinks water contained human and animal waste.
Only about a third of China'sindustrial wastewater is treated before release,
and just half of treated water meets China's own discharge standards. Only
tiny fraction of all municipal wastewater is treated. Water quality problems 
have been aggravated by growing water shortages. Of 434 Chinese Cities, 188 
are short of water and 40 suffer serve shortages.  In Beijing, for example,
the water table is dropping by six feet a year.
 
* Air Quality: China's over dependence on coal means that urban air quality is
"particularly poor". Average concertrations of suspended particles in the air
of northern China cities run more than five times the standard of the World 
Health Organization (WHO). Average concentration of sulphur dioxide in the air
of southern China cities are double the WHO standard.  As direct result, 
chronic pulmonary disease is the leading cause of death in China.  It overall 
incidence is more than five times greater in China than in the United States.  
The air in some cities worsened in the 1980s despite greater pollution control
efforts. With number of vehicles rapidly expanding in Chinese cities, growing 
carbon monoxide and lead emissions are expected to aggravate the air quality.
 
* Rural problems: The uncontrolled boom of China's small-scale township and 
village industries -- which doubled in number in the late 1980s-- has spread
urban style pollution to much of its countryside. Indiscriminate irrigation with
out adequate drainage has led to severe saltinzation of millions of acres of
cropland, reducing yield 10% to 25%. Irrigation with untreated urban and
industrial effluent has contaminated millions of acres with acid and toxic
heavy metals.
Cultivation of semi-arid or sloping land  has eroded almost 17% of China's
total land. Overgrazing has turned 30% of China once extensive grassland into
desert -- with millions of acres of grassland still being lost each year.
Despite massive tree-planting efforts since the late 1970s, forests have only
increased slightly from 12% to 13% of China's land, according to Chinese 
government data.  Some scientist believe the actual forest cover is as low as 
10.5% and will decrees 8% by the year 2000.
 
*Biodversity: China is one of the world's major sources of biodversity, with 10%
of all the planet's species and animals "However, China like many developing
countries, gives low priority to preserving its wildlands, in part because
their importance to economic activity is not well appreciated at many centers
of decision-making" the report says.  About 200 plant spices in China are
believed to have become extinct over past 30 years as a result of deforestation,
with another 5,000 species estimated to be endangered. China now is estimated 
to be losing two species of birds every three years -- a rate predicated to 
increase to one a year by the end of this decade.
 
China's environmental agency is expected to send the World Bank report soon to
the State Council, Chinese's chief executive body, with its own recommendation.