negative impacts of sustainable development in China
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Explanation:
negative impacts of sustainable development in China
Answer:
Environmental degradation in China is severe, which, along with huge population and unprecedented extensive economic growth, contribute significant barriers to sustainable development. Since 1978, a huge economic achievement has been made, whereas various challenges are emerging. Two of them are limited conserved strategic resources and serious environmental pollution. China will experience greater stresses on resources availability and environmental sustainability with the current development mode in the near future. Environmental problems have become a main factor affecting national security and social stability. Many problems that have ever haunted some developed countries during industrialization have occurred in China. Water pollution in several major rivers is serious, as well as air quality and noise pollution, which have caused a high incidence of diseases. Carbon emissions are mounting rapidly. Various pollutions by both domestic and hazardous solid wastes are new concerns. The conflicts between environment and development are becoming ever more prominent. Relative shortage of resources, fragile ecological environment and insufficient environmental carrying capacity are critical problems probably hindering future development. Considerable environmental effects have occurred in recent years owing to tremendous efforts on the issues of conservation and clean-up. Chinese government attaches great importance to environmental protection, which is believed to have direct impacts on the overall situation of modernization and long-term sustainable development. Although the amount of resource consumption and pollutants is increasing greatly, however, the trends toward aggravated environmental pollution and ecological destruction are gradually slowing down. Even so, the overall environmental improvements need more comprehensive and effective measures, such as public awareness, information transparency, enforcement of environmental laws, capacity building of civil institutions, and the balance between economic development and environmental protection. While seeking economic growth, China had been controlling energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in accordance with the country’s sustainable development strategy to fight climate change and improve ecological environment. The government is taking climate change as a serious responsibility, though it is not covered by the greenhouse gas emissions restrictions included in the Kyoto Protocol. China plans to achieve the target of about 20% reduction of energy consumption per unit GDP by 2010, and consequently reduce CO2 emission. Nevertheless, the annual target for cutting energy consumption 4% per GDP in 2006 failed to reach. The economic development with high energy intensity really challenges the objective. By importing resources and exporting goods, China lives well beyond its renewable resources, around 200% of the domestic biocapacity. The average person in 2002 has an ecological footprint of 1.6 hectares, while in the United States, 9.7 hectares. Chinese ecological footprint grew by 24 % between 1992 and 2002. However, the average Chinese footprint is still under the world average of 2.3 hectares in 2005. With the economic growth, achieving sustainable production and consumption is crucial for the future sustainable development of China, as well as the whole world