OPINION> Commentary
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OPINION> Commentary
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Actions speak louder
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-30 07:31 It is good news that central China's Hunan province will invest 17.4 billion yuan ($2.5 billion) in efforts to clean up its heavily-polluted Xiangjiang River in three years. But even if there is absolutely no doubt about the resolve and sincerity of the provincial leaders who have announced their plan, it is quite natural for others to be skeptical about whether the huge investment will be able to restore the natural beauty of this mother river for the local people. It has not been uncommon to hear similar announcements from some local governments in recent years. Yunnan province in Southwest China has invested 4.7 billion yuan ($70 million) in pollution control in its Dianchi Lake in the past decade, and it would invest another 30 billion yuan ($4.3 billion) to turn the lake water clean. So did some other provinces or cities. For all these local governments' efforts in their environmental protection, the message is clear enough that fighting against pollution has become an imperative for people in leading positions of any government at any level.
In Hunan's case, chemical, metallurgical, heavy machine building and power plants are densely scattered along Xiangjiang River, and they are almost all heavy polluters with high energy consumption. The first thing Hunan must do is either close these factories or make them invest huge sums in upgrading their pollutant-treatment facilities. They have to do this, although the local revenue from these industries will certainly suffer at least for the time being. Whether local governments at all levels have long-term strategies for sustainable development is pivotal to the success of such a project. That is one of the major reasons why an ambitious environmental protection project tends to start like a thunder but continue with little rain in some localities. With a cluster of cities along the river designated as pilot areas for energy-saving and environment-friendly industries by the State, the provincial government of Hunan has promised to hold all its local government leaders accountable for whatever their areas need to contribute to the project. Unanimous action by all cities or districts along the river is important. Inaction by any city or any enterprise will have a negative impact. All city governments have signed pledges with the provincial government to fulfill their mission, as required by the project. (China Daily 07/30/2008 page8) |
