Xie Zhenhua, director of the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) expressed his gratitude today at the ongoing International Conference on Engineering and Technological Sciences in Beijing for the help of UNDP in China's development, especially in the field of environmental protection.

Since 1996, UNDP has provided 3.6 million US dollars to help control acid rain in southwest China's Guiyang, nitrogen oxides and smog in south China's Guangzhou, suspended particles in northwest China's Xi'an and air pollution in Beijing and northeast China's Benxi.

The air pollution in the cities is a pressing environmental problem facing China currently, said Xie, adding that the UNDP-funded projects are helpful for local governments to make policies and also set a good example for China's environmental strategy.

Kerstin Leitner, resident representative of the UNDP, said each of the five cities faces typical air pollution problems. Guiyang faces high emission of sulfur dioxide and deposition of acid rain.Guangzhou and Beijing are challenged by the rapid increase of vehicles and nitrogen oxide pollution. Xi'an is affected by serious total suspended particles from various sources, and Benxi was once named the non-visible city from the sky due to heavy smoke and dust of industrial pollution.

The UNDP support not only provided the timely needed funds with the least possible risks, but also opportunities to access the advanced technologies and practical instruments for air pollution reduction, said Leitner.

She noted the UNDP projects have developed alternative policy instruments to link hand-by-hand economic development with environment protection.

She added that UNDP will further the cooperation with Chinese government to better protect humanity's common home -- the Earth.

(Peoples’ Daily 10/13/2000)