The big environmental stories in the Chinese media (April 30-6 May)
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) has released the findings of its latest round of environmental inspections, publishing eight “representative cases” on its official WeChat account on 6 May.
One of the most egregious breaches of regulations occurred in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province and host of the upcoming UN Convention on Biodiversity talks. The inspection team found a development on the shores of the city’s famous Dianchi Lake had encroached the “redlines” of the lake’s protection zones.
Naming and shaming local authorities, the team criticised the Kunming Party Committee and city government for putting quick profits ahead of “the long-term costs” of ecological destruction and for “failing to correctly manage the connection between development and conservation.”
A journalist from The Paper who travelled with the inspection team found numerous property developer advertisements that exploited a loophole in regulations on building in protected zones by labelling projects “retirement homes” and “health facilities”.
A MEE inspection team first pointed out problems with the development in 2016. But local government continued to turn a blind eye. By the time the team returned in 2018, 167 villas had been completed within the second-tier section of the protected area.
The case demonstrates the difficulty of implementing national-level protection measures such as the “ecological redlines” policy, which legally protects as much as 25% of China’s land and sea areas.
Other “representative cases” found by the MEE inspection teams included illegal mining, polluted water releases into the Yangtze River, and mishandling of industrial waste.
Read more about China’s “ecological redlines” policy and the enforcement challenge on China Dialogue here.
(Sources: China Dialogue)
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