About one-in-five people in urban areas in China is living in severely polluted environments, according to Zhang Lijun, deputy director of the State Environmental Protection Administration.

He was speaking at an international symposium on improving air quality in Beijing last Monday.

He pointed out that despite the measures taken by the government in pollution control and environmental protection which had improved air quality in many cities, the air quality was still below average international standards and was not good enough for most people.

China is expected to undergo more profound change over the next 15 years. With population still rising and the economy continuing to develop, the lack of effective efforts to keep pollution under control could end up being disastrous to the whole society.

Alongside the usual urban pollution issues such as smog and acid rain, some new problems are also emerging. The increase in the number of vehicles on city roads has added to the already bad air pollution situation and the growing amount of waste that has to be treated are destroying the natural eco-system of not only the cities but the surrounding countryside as well.

So, immediate attention must be given to achieving sustainable development.

The campaign for the people must still be fought by the united efforts of the people.

(Shanghai Daily October 31, 2005)