Focus on Arts and Ecology

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) and the Ministry of Housing and Rural-Urban Development (MOHURD) jointly declared war on “black and smelly” bodies of water in urban areas, reports Caixin. According to MEE’s website, a dedicated protection campaign was launched on May 7. Ten groups will be tasked with carrying out inspections in 20 cities, spanning eight provinces and municipalities, including Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Hunan, Hubei, and Shanghai.

So-called black and smelly bodies of water are generated through direct discharge of sewage water and solid waste. This is the result of poor quality urban infrastructure, explained a MEE official. According to data released by the former Ministry of Environmental Protection, more than 80% of urban rivers are polluted, and more than 90% of surface water sources are subject to serious pollution, to the extent that in many places black and smelly bodies of water are a seasonal or perennial problem. 

By the end of 2017, a total of 2,100 bodies of black and smelly water were identified in urban areas at a prefecture level and above. Of these, almost a third are located in 36 key cities, including municipalities and provincial capitals.