A report card for China’s environment

By Jonathan Watts
3 June 2011 The Chinese government issued its annual “State of the Environment” report on Friday. Here are the highlights along with my interpretation and year-end grade for each subject based on the following standard: A – World class
B – Good
C – Passable
D – Poor but showing signs of improvement
E – Poor and getting worse
F – Dangerous failure Freshwater quality Ministry of Environmental Protection:

“Surface water pollution across the country is still relatively grave … 59.9 percent of rivers were grade 3 or better, 23.7 percent of rivers were grade 4 or 5 and 16.4 percent failed to meet any grade standard. Among 26 lakes or reservoirs, 42.3 percent are affected by eutrophication.”

Interpretation: Two-fifths percent of river water can make you sick. This includes a sixth that is so contaminated it is not fit for any use. Four in every 10 lakes are turning green and choked by algae Grade: F Coastal water quality Ministry:

“Coastal marine waters are affected by slight pollution. 62.7 percent reached grade 1 or 2. 14.1 percent reached grade 3. and 23.2 percent failed to reach gradable standard. Jiaozhou Bay has improved by 25 percent since 2009, while Bohai Bay and the estuaries of the Yangtze and the Pearl river have deteriorated by 20 percent…The coastal waters of the Bohai Sea are poor and the East China Sea very poor.”

Interpretation: Almost a quarter of coastal waters are so contaminated they are off the scale. Grade: D-/E+ You call that ‘slight?! Air quality Ministry:

“Overall urban air quality is good with relatively heavy pollution in some cities. The acid rain distribution region remains stable with some relatively heavy acid rain pollution … Among 471 cities, 3.6 percent met grade 1 air quality standard, 79.2 percent met grade 2, 15.5 percent met grade 3 and 1.7 percent failed to met grade 3.”

Interpretation: Almost one in five cities still fails to meet the low passing grade set by the government on an annual basis. Far more would fail if the standard was raised to the level recommended by the World Health Organisation. Grade: D+ Progress. A small but welcome improvement on the dire situation five years ago. But very low ambition to call that ‘good’. …