China Faces Growing Environment Challenge: World Bank
China had cut air and water pollution emissions in the second half of the 1990s, reversed deforestation and curbed the damage inflicted on land by salts deposited during irrigation, it said.
"These achievements are arguably unprecedented in any country at China's state of economic development," said the World Bank Country Director for China, Yukon Huang.
"Yet the battle is not even close to being won -- environmental challenges are likely to get far greater and more complex over the next 10 years and the government will have to re-orient its approach if it wants to make further progress."
Instead of trying to repair the damage, the Chinese authorities should focus more on avoiding harm to the environment in the first place, said the report, titled ****China: Air, Land and Water***** -- environmental priorities for a new millennium.
The World Bank report urged China to consider the environment in economic planning, possibly by creating a special environment protection agency and to increase support for the challenge, AFP reported.
It called on China to set up a national parks service and to improve management of rivers in dry areas.
Strong environmental protection legislation was required, the report added.
The World Bank said regulations should be focused on the big pulluters and priority areas.
All potential polluters could be required to pay an administrative fee for environmental permits, it suggested, with a system of fines for breaches of the conditions.
China should increase investment in infrastructure to protect the environment in cities, possibly with new sources of capital from the private sector or by floating municipal bonds, the report said.
The authorities were also advised to make environmental spending more efficient by addressing the basic economic and social reasons for land degradation rather than treating the symptoms.