A number of local governments have issued local laws and regulations on "Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)" and planning, said an official with the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) in Beijing Wednesday.

The EIA refers to a scientific assessment of the affordability of resources in a planned area.

EIA's are helpful to prevent pollution and environmental damage before a project is launched, said the official, adding that all major economic and industrial programs should undergo EIAs.

The ten localities are Shanghai and Tianjin municipalities, Hebei, Shandong and Shanxi provinces, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and Dalian, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Xingtai cities, according to the official.

Inner Mongolia and Dalian and Wuhan cities have launched their EIA on an experimental basis.

Meanwhile, the authorities have been working on an EIA for major industries and river areas.

Environmental assessment is part of the government's efforts to implement a sustainable path of development and build an environment-friendly society.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2005)