BEIJING, May 15 (INP): China's commitment to green initiatives has transformed its cities, resulting in improved liveability and air quality.  It's truly remarkable how China has taken on the battle against pollution and emerged victorious, Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday. In 2014, the Chinese government declared a “War Against Pollution” to tackle pollution with the same determination the country took in its battle against poverty.  Over the past years, the Chinese government has implemented various methods to improve air and water quality.  Sandstorms, which were quite common 15 years ago, are now rarely seen due to afforestation projects on China's northern borders.  The photos show some of the reasons contributing to the cities' clear blue skies. Nearly all taxis and more and more cars are electric.  They are visible with green number plates. The metro is the world's busiest. In the city, buses are electric and there are sharing bikes at metro stations and local centers.  Figures show 60% of the world's electric cars, 70% of high speed green rail, 60% of metros and 95% of electic buses run in China alone. Electric Public Transportation has played a major role in reducing the country's Air Quality Index (AQI) level to the minimum.  

Beijing boasts the world's busiest metro system. Sixty percent of the world's metro systems are in China, offering a clean and efficient alternative to cars. It efficiently transports millions of passengers daily, reducing the reliance on individual cars. The city's buses have also gone electric, further minimizing pollution. These buses operate from metro stations and local centers, providing convenient and eco-friendly transportation.  An astounding 95% of electric buses worldwide operate in China, making public transportation greener. The High-Speed Green Rail in China operates 70% of the world's high-speed green rail network, connecting cities efficiently while minimizing environmental impact.

In recent years, significant strides were achieved in improving water quality.  As per the 2022 State of Ecology and Environmental (SOEE) Report, the second SOEE report published by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) since China's 14th Five-Year Plan (14FYP), China's “national surface water quality continues to improve” and “groundwater quality remained stable”.  In 2022, its share of Grade I-III category improved from 84.9% in 2021 to 87.9% while Grade V+ improved from 1.2% to 0.7%. It's Grade I-III category has exceeded the 14FYP target of more than 85% by 2025. The improvement of overall national surface water is most likely due to the improvement of Main River Basins and Key Lakes & Reservoirs, rather than groundwater.

For instance, The Hai Basin Integrated Water and Environment Management Project, 2004-2011, effectively promoted an integrated approach to water resource management and pollution control in the Hai Basin in northern China.  The project contributed to the restoration and protection of the marine environment, ecosystem and biodiversity of the Bohai Sea. Over 20 million people benefited from reduced water pollution. China's success demonstrates that progress is possible, even in the world's most polluted countries. The country is an important model showing that policy can produce sharp reductions in pollution in a short order.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China