Environmental Health, Policies and Challenges in China: 

An Overview

EU‐China Civil Society Dialogue on Industrial Pollution and Environmental Health

23‐25 August 2011, Sun Yat‐Sen University, Guangzhou, China

May Tan‐Mullins, Division of International Studies, UNNC

1

Outline 

• OverviewofenvironmentalhealthinChina

• Casestudies‐ Airandwaterpollution

• Mainissuesandchallenges

• Rolesofcivilsocietyorganisations

• Conclusion

What is Environmental Health? 

Environmentalhealthaddressesallthephysical,chemical,andbiological factorsexternaltoaperson,andalltherelatedfactorsimpactingbehaviours.Itencompassestheassessmentandcontrolofthoseenvironmentalfactorsthatcanpotentiallyaffecthealth.Itistargetedtowardspreventingdiseaseandcreatinghealth‐supportiveenvironments.Thisdefinitionexcludesbehaviournotrelatedtoenvironment,aswellasbehaviourrelatedtothesocialandculturalenvironment,andgenetics(WHO,2011)

4

What is environmental health?

• Anyenvironmentalriskfactorsthatwillimpactonhumanhealth

• Watersupply,sanitation,wastecollection,drainage,sewage,electricity

• Water,air(outdoorandindoor),noise,radiationpollution

• Hazardwaste‐ healthcare,toxic,pesticidesrunoffs

• Diseasescontrol‐ TB,Hep,cholera,malaria,denguefever,SARS/H1N1

Causes of increase in risks• Traditionalpollutants‐indoorairpollution

• Modernpollutants‐industrialisation,automobilesemission,coalelectricityplants

• Increaseinpopulationandrural‐urbanmigration

• Occupationalhazards• Foodsafetyissues‐processedandpackagedfood

Outdoor air pollution‐government strategies

• Outdoorairpollution• Industrialandpowerplants:sulphurdioxideand

dustreduction,Sulphurscrubbersin2005• Automobile:leadfreepetrolin2000• 12th 5yearplan:reducingpollution,increasing

energyefficiency,stablecleanenergysupply• Reducecarbonemissionby17%by2015,11.4%

energyfromnon‐fossilfuelsby2015,ChemicalOxygenDemand(COD)andSulphurdioxideare8%.

• Preferentialtaxpoliciestoencourageenergyconservationandemissionsreduction,indexevaluationsystemforlocaltargets,‘circulareconomy’

• ExampleofBeijingOlympics2008‐ 45%decrease• Transboundaryissueofairpollution‐ Europeina

month

Water pollution‐ government strategies and policies

• 300millioninChinarelyonhazardouswatersourceduetowatershortageandscarcity,competingusageofwater

• 77%hasaccesstopipedwater(94%inurbanarea)‐ highcostexposeruralcommunitiestounreliablesources

• 60,000wastewatertreatmentplantsin2007

• Needtoincreasebasicsanitationandgovernanceofcontaminantsfromindustrialfacilitiesandagriculturaluseofpesticides

• SonghuaRiverinHeilongJiangandTingjiangRiverinFujian

Songhua River, Heilongjiang• DrinkingsourcetoHarbin• 130organiccontaminants

detected• 13Nov2005explosionatchemical

plantreleased100000kgofbenzene,aniline,andnitrobenzene

• Samples10dayslater‐ 33timesabovepermissibleamountunderChineselaw

• Shutdownofdrinkingsystemsupporting4millionresidentsfor4days

• Assessmentsandinspectionsresultingplantclosuresandmitigationactivities

• ConsolidationofgovernanceagenciesunderMEP

• Safeguardofwaterin5yearplans

Chemical leakage by Zijin Mining Group (ZMG). Tingjiang River in Shanghang county, Fujian Province, 03 July 2010, 2000 tonnes of fish, human consumption

Challenges and issues• Vastinterlinkedfactorspertainingtoenvironmentandhealthriskfactors

• Coordinationofnumerousagencies(MOH,MEP,provincialofficials,localofficialsetc)

• Gapingovernanceandenforcement• Weakcapacityformonitoringandtesting• Unpredictableclimatechangeonenvironment‐disastersanddiseases

• Lackofinformation• RolesofCSOs‐ extrasetofeyesforthegovernment

Roles of CSOs

• Fillingspacewhichgovernmentandbusinesscouldnotdo:education,elderlyanddisablecare,healthcare,environmentissues

• Socialcommentaries• Socialmedia‐ microblogsonsina.com

• Examples:GreenCamelBellinGansu,GreenwatershedinsouthYunnanandGreenpeace

Conclusion

• Chinesegovernmentunabletoreachallfacetsoftheenvironment

• Issuessuchascoordination,governance,enforcement,testingandmonitoringaretumultuoustasks

• CSOsplayanincreasingimportantroletowardsaparticipatoryapproachtoenvironmentalmanagement

• NeedtolinkupwithInternationalNGOsfortransferofknowledgeandknow‐hows

THANK YOU!

Anyquestions?

14