Cultural Lecture: China’s Environment

Dr. Robert Li gave the eighth and final cultural lecture on Friday, September 12th. He focused his lecture on environmental protection in China and hydraulic works in Guilin, since the students experienced many of Guilin’s unique water features during their visit. Dr. Li is a professor in the school of environment and resources at GXNU. He approaches the topic as a scientist and researcher.

The most important topics for an environmental scientist are the same topics concerning economists, industrialists and the government as well: industrialization, urbanization, population growth, and transportation development have all changed the landscape of China vastly since Reform and Opening in 1978.

In 2002, China developed a standardized system of determining water quality among rivers, streams and lakes. There are five classes: 1. Head waters, 2. Drinking water source areas, spawning areas (Class 1), 3. Class 2 drinking water and aquaculture use, 4. General Industrial water, non-contact recreational use and 5. Agricultural use. Above level 5 has no functional use. In this system, level 1 is the cleanest water and +5 is the most polluted water.

In China there are seven major river systems: the Yangzi, Yellow, Pearl, Huaihe, Haihe, Liaohe and Songhuajiang rivers. The majority of the Yangzi River is level 2 and 3. There are tributaries, however, especially alongside urban areas, where the level is mostly 3, sometimes reaching 4. The Yellow River is mostly level 3 and 4, with some areas reaching level 5. The Pearl River is the cleanest of these three, with a primary grade of 2. The source of contamination in these rivers is industry, especially from mining. Although there are laws requiring wastewater to be treated, the laws are still difficult to enforce.

In terms of lakes, the largest of China’s lakes are mostly in the level 5 grading. The Major pollutant for lakes is domestic wastewater, which is very difficult to regulate. China also set up a standardized system for measuring the Eutrophication index, which is the indication of nutrients found in lake water (Nitrogen and Phosphorous), more than half of China’s lakes are heavily loaded. Also affected by Eutrophication is seawater. China’s major seas, in order of most affected to least are: East China Sea, Bohai Sea, Yellow and South China Seas.

Air pollution classifications came in 1996. Level 1 defines nature preserves, level 2 defines residential, commercial and rural areas and level 3, the worst grading for pollution defines specialized industrial regions. The major chemicals causing air pollution are sulfur dioxide, TSP (total suspended particles), nitrogen dioxide and dust.

China developed a list of 113 critical cities, and will focus on environmental protection of these cities. So far, 60% of the cities on the list are at a level 3 grading for air pollution. Guilin has a level 2 grading. 40% of the key cities suffer from acid rain with a pH of 5.6 and 10% of the cities experience acid rain with a pH of 4.5. Coal power in Guangxi province causes acid rain. The toxic rain causes damage to buildings of various materials, aquaculture and agriculture.
In terms of species diversity, China has 2,619 vertebrates and more than 30,000 plant species, four to five thousand of which are endangered. 4% of China’s land is wetland area, 16% is dedicated to nature preserves, and 18.2% is forest area. 37% of China’s land is subject to soil erosion because of the high amount of development occurring throughout the country. The first step to protection, according to Dr. Li is to designate the most critical areas as “protected”, which means getting several institutions, the government and industry all on the same page. Only then can enforcement and prohibition work to protect the land. Dr. Li also emphasized the need for improvement of the infrastructure dedicated to environmental protection.

The environmental governing authorities in China are hierarchical. At the top is the National People’s Congress, which is similar to America’s parliamentary system. Within this congress there are two environmental committees, one being the state council, which is the highest executive body. This council gets together and discusses suggestions from outside. They do not make up laws on their own.

Next in the hierarchy is the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP). The MEP is responsible for overall environmental management. The present minister is Zhou Shengxian. The MEP is carefully scrutinized because of the high profile of China’s environmental challenges.

The law system in China is also hierarchical, with eight levels. First there is the Constitution. Then there are basic laws, among environmental basic laws there are the Law of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Impact Assessment Act. Next there are separate, specialized laws as with fisheries, animal protection or water and soil conservation laws. Next come the administrative laws, which are ratified by the state council (an example being the Ordinance of Environmental Protection for construction projects). Next in the hierarchy are departmental regulations, which are promulgated by the MEP. Among these five levels, when there is a conflict, the former prevails, ending with the Constitution if conflict continues.

Next are regional environmental laws and governmental regulations. Then come the environmental standards such as technical criteria for executing laws (there are over 500 standards, all available online). Lastly are the international conventions, such as the Convention on Biological Diversity in Rio, Brazil, 1992. When the Chinese government is in conflict with these last, the conventions prevail because they represent a collective intent greater than China.

Dr. Li concluded his lecture with a brief explanation of the ancient hydraulic system that changed the course of two river systems allowing for irrigation of the majority of the Pearl River Delta. This system was built in the Qin dynasty in 214 BCE and the canal, known as the Lingqu Canal, connects the Yangzi River to the Pearl River. The students would go to see the Lingqu Canal later in the day.