Northeastern Heilongjiang Province will raise people's awareness of environmental protection by issuing educational booklets and including the topic in college courses, says an official of the provincial environmental protection bureau.

Along with rapid industrialization and urbanization, the official noted, Heilongjiang Province faced environmental pollution and ecological destruction problems.

Heilongjiang would implement education on environmental protection, increasing citizens' awareness and balancing economic growth and environmental protection, according to sources of Heilongjiang environmental protection conference.

Institutions of higher learning would incorporate environmental knowledge into teaching materials, the official said.

(Xinhua News Agency January 8, 2004)