Like other developing countries, China is economic boom came at the expense of controls on air pollution, land clearing, deforestation, endangered species and rural and industrial waste. China is huge population combines with geographical factors make it’s environmental problems infinitely more massive than that of other nations.

The floods of 1998 (in large part due to deforestation) in which over 3600 people were killed, brought further attention to the issue. Even Jiang Zemin, state president and CCP general secretary, has publicly called for action on the environment.

Energy Use & Air Pollution
Nine out of 10 of the world’s most polluted cities are found in China, and estimates are hat by 2005 China may become the world’s largest source of air pollution.

Most major cities lie smothered under great canopies of smog in summer and winter. Beijing, Xian, Lanzhou and Jilin are all chronically affected. Tests conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO) and China’s National Environmental Protection Agency showed levels of airborne suspended particles average 526 micrograms per sq meter in northern China.

The first problem is coal. It provides some 70% of China’s energy needs and around 900 million tones of it go up in smoke every year. This heavy reliance on coal has lead to an estimated 40% of the country being affected by acid rain. Even Korea and Japan complain about damage to their forests from acid rain that is believed to have come from China.

Despite this, in the late 1990s Premier Li Peng called for further expansion of the coal industry. Beijing’s enthusiasm has, however, been partially depended by the increasing development of hydroelectric and nuclear power and a spate of coal mining and inadequate safety controls in local mines have led to stream of accidents. Coal-rich Shangxi province alone has an annual death rate from mining of over 1000.

Renewable energy use is still in its infancy, with most hope pinned on hydroelectric power such as the Three Gorges Dam and Xiaowan Lancang River Dam Project in Yunan province, the main problem is that renewable energy us uncompetitive against a heavily subsidized coal power industry. China is expected to become a major oil importer as demand rapidly outstrips domestic resources.

Desertification & Land Use
China has been combating the spread of its deserts for more than 40 years via affrication programs. They have met with mixed success, as they’re continually hampered by the ongoing stress placed on the land by overgrazing and irrigation.

Every year vast, choking dust storms blow across Beijing, Korea and Japan from China loess plateau.

The main cause of these storms is the desertification of large parts of northern and western China due to a lack of sustainable land management. Despite afforestation, some experts have suggested that grass should be planted instead to bind the soil more effectively.

During the summer of 2001, north China suffered its worst drought since 1990, with more than 20 province being afflicted; Inner Mongolia was badly hit. Beijing residents were urged to save every drop of water during the drought, which rendered huge amount of land in north China uncultivable. The problem is expected to worsen over the next few years.

The lower reaches of Huang He have often dried up in recent years, as has the Red Flag Canal. Locust swarms often accompany such conditions. Beijing is becoming increasingly parched as the water table drops: the imposition of water, but have not yet been implemented.

Water & Wetlands
China’s rivers and wetlands face great pressure from draining and reclamation, as well as pollution from untreated industrial liquids, domestic sewerage, human waste and chemicals. It is estimated that China annually dumps three billon tones of untreated water into the ocean via its rivers. Some reports indicate that half the population is supplied with polluted water. This poor quality water, coupled with often acute water shortages, is creating significant environmental health hazards.

Drought often hits north and west China while north-east and central China are flooded: waste, silting up of riverbeds, over extraction of water and the general abuse of the environment worsen the situation.