Think it’s bad where you are? It could be worse. The following Chinese cities have been singled out for disapprobation by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) regarding their environmental records:
Bad Air:
- Bayannur and Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia
- Baiyin, Gansu
- Urumqi, Xinjiang
- Huanggang, Hubei
Bad Water:
- Hengshui and Cangzhou, Hebei
- Linfen, Shanxi
- Fuyang, Anhui
- Tongchuan, Shaanxi
- Wuwei, Gansu
If you’d like to know where these cities are, click the map markers below:
View Larger Map.
Curiously, however, the cities with the worst “public satisfaction” rates in terms of local environmental protection efforts are not on the lists. They are:
- Datong, Shanxi
- Hezhou, Guangxi
Are there any bright spots? Actually based on the survey results that accompanied the name and shame announcement things are generally getting better in terms of wastewater treatment and solid and hazardous waste disposal. But MEP called on cities to “further improve their sewage-handling and recycling capabilities, and develop effective ways to treat sludge and hazardous liquids produced by sewage and garbage disposal plants.”
The cities with the highest “public satisfaction” rates (in excess of 90%) are
- Linyi, Dongying, Rizhao and Yantai, Shandong Province
- Daqing, and Heihe, Heilongjiang Province
2 responses so far ↓
1 Adam Minter // Oct 12, 2008 at 12:08 am
I was happy to see Linyi with a high “public satisfaction” rating. Little known but true: Linyi’s been a laboratory for the development of recycling and solid waste methods for several years now. In a decade, when people think of “e-scrap” and “China,” they won’t be thinking of the environmental catastrophe in Guiyu, they’ll be thinking about the innovations and partnerships in Linyi.
2 cmcelwee // Oct 12, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Adam: Thanks for letting us know about Linyi! The only city I had heard of on the list was RiZhao. It turns out that Yantai is a pretty progressive place as well; China Law Blog has more information. I took the liberty of cross-posting from your comment there.
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