Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of my country issued the “2018 National Ecological Environment Quality Profile.” The profile shows that in 2018, the national ecological environment quality continued to improve.

One. Summary

The year 2018 marked a significant milestone in the history of China’s ecological and environmental protection. The National Conference on Ecological and Environmental Protection was held in Beijing, where General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered an important speech, formally establishing Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization. The CPC Central Committee and the State Council subsequently issued the “Opinions on Comprehensively Strengthening Ecological and Environmental Protection and Resolutely Fighting Pollution Prevention and Control,” outlining the timetable, roadmap, and overarching mission for the battle against pollution. Furthermore, the First Session of the 13th National People’s Congress adopted a constitutional amendment that enshrined new development concepts, ecological civilization, and the requirements for building a Beautiful China into the Constitution. In the context of the reform of Party and state institutions, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment was newly established to unify the oversight and administrative law enforcement responsibilities related to various types of pollutant discharge across ecological, urban, and rural areas; concurrently, a comprehensive law enforcement team for ecological and environmental protection was formed to enhance the uniformity, independence, authority, and effectiveness of law enforcement.

Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, all regions and departments have fully implemented the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Second and Third Plenary Sessions of the Party Central Committee. The State Council has made decisions and arrangements to improve the quality of the ecological environment, adhering to the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, making overall plans, comprehensively implementing policies, leveraging both hands, combining targeted efforts with broader initiatives, pursuing truth and pragmatism, and coordinating the promotion of high-quality economic development with a high level of ecological protection. The campaign to safeguard blue skies, clear waters, and pristine land is in full swing, and the battle against pollution has gotten off to a strong start.

In 2018, the quality of the national ecological environment continued to improve. The average number of good days in 338 cities at prefecture-level and above (hereinafter referred to as 338 cities) was 79.3%, an increase of 1.3 percentage points year-on-year; the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) was 39 micrograms/m3, a year-on-year decrease of 9.3%. The PM2.5 concentration in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surrounding areas, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Fenwei Plain fell by 11.8%, 10.2%, and 10.8% respectively year-on-year. The proportion of sections with Grade I to III surface water quality nationwide was 71.0%, an increase of 3.1 percentage points year-on-year; the proportion of sections inferior to Grade V was 6.7%, a year-on-year decrease of 1.6 percentage points. The water quality of the coastal waters is generally stable and improving. The emissions of chemical oxygen demand, ammonia nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide decreased by 3.1%, 2.7%, 6.7%, and 4.9% year-on-year, respectively. Energy consumption per unit of GDP and carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 3.1% and 4.0% year-on-year. The annual goals and tasks of ecological environmental protection were successfully completed, and the schedule requirements of the "Thirteenth Five-Year Plan" were met.

2. Atmosphere

(1) Ambient air quality

Among the 338 cities nationwide, 121 have met the ambient air quality standards, accounting for 35.8% of the total—up 6.5 percentage points from the previous year. The average proportion of good-quality days across these 338 cities was 79.3%, an increase of 1.3 percentage points year on year. The PM2.5 concentration averaged 39 micrograms per cubic meter, a year-on-year decrease of 9.3%, while the average PM10 concentration was 71 micrograms per cubic meter, down 5.3% from the previous year.

Figure 1: Percentage of Ambient Air Quality Levels in 338 Cities in 2018

According to the evaluation of the comprehensive environmental air quality index, among the 169 key cities, the 20 cities with relatively poor ambient air quality (from 169 to 150) are Linfen, Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, Tangshan, Handan, Anyang, Taiyuan, Baoding, Xianyang, Jincheng, Jiaozuo, Xi'an, Xinxiang, Yangquan, Yuncheng, Jinzhong, Zibo, Zhengzhou, Laiwu and Weinan; the 20 cities with relatively good air quality (from 1st to 20th) are Haikou , Huangshan, Zhoushan, Lhasa, Lishui, Shenzhen, Xiamen, Fuzhou, Huizhou, Taizhou, Zhuhai, Guiyang, Zhongshan, Ya'an, Dalian, Kunming, Wenzhou, Quzhou, Xianning and Nanning.

In the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region and its surrounding “2+26” cities, the average proportion of good-air-quality days was 50.5%, up 1.2 percentage points year on year; the PM2.5 concentration was 60 micrograms per cubic meter, down 11.8% year on year. In Beijing, the proportion of good-air-quality days was 62.2%, an increase of 0.3 percentage points year on year; the PM2.5 concentration was 51 micrograms per cubic meter, down 12.1% year on year. In the 41 cities of the Yangtze River Delta, the average proportion of good-air-quality days was 74.1%, up 2.5 percentage points year on year; the PM2.5 concentration was 44 micrograms per cubic meter, down 10.2% year on year. In the 11 cities of the Fenwei Plain, the average proportion of good-air-quality days was 54.3%, up 2.2 percentage points year on year; the PM2.5 concentration was 58 micrograms per cubic meter, down 10.8% year on year. In the nine cities of the Pearl River Delta region, the average proportion of good-air-quality days was 85.4%, up 0.9 percentage points year on year; the PM2.5 concentration was 32 micrograms per cubic meter, down 5.9% year on year.

(two) acid rain

Among the 471 cities (districts and counties) monitored for precipitation, the frequency of acid rain averaged 10.5%, a year-on-year decrease of 0.3%. The annual average pH value of precipitation across the country ranges from 4.34 to 8.24. Among them, the proportion of cities with acid rain (annual precipitation pH lower than 5.6) was 18.9%, an increase of 0.1% year-on-year; the proportion of cities with heavy acid rain (annual precipitation pH lower than 5.0) was 4.9%, a year-on-year decrease of 1.8%; heavy acid rain (The annual average pH value of precipitation is lower than 4.5) The proportion of cities is 0.4%, which is the same year-on-year. The overall acid rain type is still sulfuric acid type.

The area affected by acid rain in China is approximately 530,000 square kilometers, accounting for 5.5% of the country’s land area—a year-on-year decrease of 0.9%. Acid rain pollution is primarily concentrated in regions south of the Yangtze River and east of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, including most of Zhejiang and Shanghai, northern Fujian, central Jiangxi, central and eastern Hunan, central Guangdong, and southern Chongqing.

Three, fresh water

(1) National surface water

Among the 1,940 national surface water assessment sections, 71.0% were rated as water quality classes I–III, an increase of 3.1 percentage points year on year; 6.7% were rated as below class V, a year-on-year decrease of 1.6 percentage points.

Among the 1,613 water-quality monitoring sections in the seven major river basins—the Yangtze River, Yellow River, Pearl River, Songhua River, Huaihe River, Haihe River, and Liaohe River—as well as in the rivers of Zhejiang and Fujian, the northwestern rivers, and the southwestern rivers, the proportion of sections rated as Class I–III was 74.3%, an increase of 2.5 percentage points year on year; the proportion of sections rated as below Class V was 6.9%, a decrease of 1.5 percentage points year on year.

The water quality of the northwest and southwest rivers is excellent. The water quality of the Yangtze River, Pearl River Basin and Zhejiang and Fujian Rivers is good. The Yellow River, Songhua River and Huaihe River Basin are slightly polluted, and the Haihe and Liaohe River Basins are moderately polluted.

Among the 111 key lakes (reservoirs) monitored, 66.7% are classified as water quality grades I–III, while 8.1% are rated below grade V. The primary pollution indicators are total phosphorus, chemical oxygen demand, and permanganate index. Of the 107 lakes (reservoirs) assessed for trophic status, 9.3% are oligotrophic, 61.7% are mesotrophic, 23.4% exhibit mild eutrophication, and 5.6% show moderate eutrophication. Taihu Lake is lightly polluted and mildly eutrophic, with total phosphorus as the main pollution indicator. Chaohu Lake is moderately polluted and mildly eutrophic, also with total phosphorus as the primary pollution indicator. Dianchi Lake is slightly polluted and mildly eutrophic, with chemical oxygen demand and total phosphorus as the main pollution indicators.

(2) Centralized drinking water sources for cities at prefecture level and above

According to the statistics on the number of monitoring sections (points), among the 906 monitoring sections (points) for centralized drinking water sources in 338 cities, 814 met the standards throughout the year, accounting for 89.8%. Of these, 577 are surface water source areas, with 534 meeting the standards year-round, representing 92.5%; the primary parameters exceeding the standards are sulfate, total phosphorus, and manganese. For groundwater source areas, there are 329 monitoring sections (points), of which 280 met the standards throughout the year, accounting for 85.1%; the main parameters exceeding the standards are manganese, iron, and ammonia nitrogen.

According to the statistics on the number of water sources, 90.9% of the 871 water sources in 338 cities are using centralized drinking water sources with water quality meeting or exceeding Grade III standards.

(3) Water bodies of key water conservancy projects

Among the 77 water-quality monitoring sections along the 38 major tributaries of the Yangtze River in the Three Gorges Reservoir area, 96.1% were classified as Grade I–III, while 3.9% were classified as Grade IV. Nutritional-status monitoring revealed that 18.2% of the sections exhibited eutrophic conditions, 76.6% were mesotrophic, and 5.2% were oligotrophic.

The Yangtze River intake section of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project (East Route), the Sanjiangying section of the Jiajiang River, the main waterway sections of the Jinghang Canal, the Suqian Canal, and the Hanzhuang Canal are all classified as Grade II. The Baoying Canal, Bulao Section, and Liangji Canal are classified as Grade III. Hongze Lake and Luoma Lake exhibit mild eutrophication, while Nansi Lake and Dongping Lake are mesotrophic.

The Danjiangkou Reservoir of the South-to-North Water Diversion (Middle Route) is moderately eutrophic. The water quality at the Taocha intake section is Grade II, and the water quality of all nine tributaries flowing into the Danjiangkou Reservoir is excellent.

Four, sea, ocean

(1) Waters under jurisdiction

In the summer of 2018, sea areas meeting first-class seawater quality standards accounted for 96.3% of the jurisdictional marine area; sea areas falling below fourth-class seawater quality standards comprised 1.1% of the jurisdictional marine area, primarily concentrated in Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, Laizhou Bay, the Jiangsu coastal region, the Yangtze River Estuary, Hangzhou Bay, the Zhejiang coast, the Pearl River Estuary, and other nearshore waters. The principal pollutants were inorganic nitrogen, active phosphate, and petroleum.

(2) Inshore waters

The water quality of coastal waters nationwide is generally stable and improving. The overall water quality level is moderate, with inorganic nitrogen and active phosphate being the primary pollution indicators. Among the 417 monitoring stations, the combined proportion of Class I and Class II seawater was 74.6%, an increase of 6.7 percentage points year on year; Class IV water accounted for 15.6%, unchanged from the previous year. Specifically, the coastal waters of the Bohai Sea exhibit moderate water quality, with inorganic nitrogen as the main pollutant; the coastal waters of the Yellow Sea are of good quality, also dominated by inorganic nitrogen; the coastal waters of the East China Sea are of poor quality, with inorganic nitrogen and active phosphate as the principal pollutants; and the coastal waters of the South China Sea are of good quality, with inorganic nitrogen and active phosphate as the primary pollutants.

Important Estuaries and Bays Among the nine important estuaries and bays, the Beibu Gulf boasts excellent water quality, Jiaozhou Bay exhibits good water quality, Liaodong Bay has experienced a decline in water quality, while the remaining estuaries and bays have generally maintained stable water quality.

Rivers Flowing into the Sea Among the 194 monitored river sections that discharge into the sea, 45.9% are classified as water quality categories I to III, while 14.9% are rated as below category V. The primary pollutants are chemical oxygen demand, permanganate index, and total phosphorus.

Five, natural ecology

(1) Ecological environment quality

Among the 2,583 counties monitored in 2018, there were 1,783, 507, 172, 74, and 47 counties with vegetation coverage indexes classified as “excellent,” “good,” “average,” “poor,” and “very poor,” respectively. These categories account for 45.4%, 12.6%, 8.5%, 11.7%, and 21.8% of the country’s total land area, respectively.

Among the 2,591 counties monitored in 2017, there were 519, 1,042, 714, 288, and 28 counties with “excellent,” “good,” “fair,” “bad,” and “poor” ecological environment quality, respectively. The “excellent” and “good” counties are mainly distributed in the Greater and Lesser Xing’an Mountains and the Changbai Mountains south of the Qinling–Huaihe River and in the northeast. These areas account for 44.4% of China’s land area, an increase of 2.4 percentage points year on year.

(2) Biodiversity

My country places great emphasis on biodiversity conservation and is among the nations with the richest biodiversity. In recent years, overall biodiversity has remained stable.

Ecosystem Diversity China boasts 212 forest types, 36 bamboo forest types, 113 shrub types, 77 meadow types, 55 grassland types, 52 desert types, and 30 natural wetland types. In addition, the country is home to four major marine ecosystems—the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, and Kuroshio Current—as well as a variety of artificial ecosystems, including farmland, planted forests, constructed wetlands, artificial grasslands, and urban areas.

Species Diversity: China is home to 98,317 known species and subspecies, including 42,048 animal species, 44,510 plant species, 17,700 higher plants, and 1,298 vertebrate species that are unique to the country.

Diversity of genetic resources: China boasts 528 cultivated crop varieties, 1,339 cultivated species, over 1,000 species of economic trees, 7,000 species of ornamental plants native to China, and 576 domestic animal breeds.

Threatened Species: The assessment of 34,450 higher plant species, 4,357 vertebrate species, and 9,302 macrofungus species nationwide reveals that 3,767 higher plant species, 932 vertebrate species, and 97 macrofungus species are threatened, accounting for 10.9%, 21.4%, and 1.0% of the total, respectively. Furthermore, the number of higher plant species, vertebrate species, and macrofungus species requiring special attention and protection amounts to 10,102, 2,471, and 6,538, respectively.

6. Acoustic Environment

(1) Regional acoustic environment

The average equivalent sound level in 323 prefecture-level and above cities that conducted daytime regional acoustic environment monitoring was 54.4 dB(A). Among these, 13 cities were rated as having first-level acoustic environmental quality, accounting for 4.0%; 205 cities were rated as second-level, accounting for 63.5%; 99 cities were rated as third-level, accounting for 30.7%; 4 cities were rated as fourth-level, accounting for 1.2%; and 2 cities were rated as fifth-level, accounting for 0.6%.

The average equivalent sound level in 319 prefecture-level and above cities that conducted nighttime regional acoustic environment monitoring was 46.0 dB(A). Among these cities, 4 were rated as Level 1 for nighttime regional acoustic environment quality, accounting for 1.3%; 121 were rated as Level 2, accounting for 37.9%; 172 were rated as Level 3, accounting for 53.9%; 17 were rated as Level 4, accounting for 5.3%; and 5 were rated as Level 5, accounting for 1.6%.

(2) Road traffic acoustic environment

The average equivalent sound level in the 324 prefecture-level and above cities that conducted daytime road traffic noise monitoring was 67.0 dB(A). Of these, 215 cities received a Grade I assessment for road traffic noise environmental quality, accounting for 66.4%; 93 cities were rated Grade II, representing 28.7%; 13 cities were rated Grade III, accounting for 4.0%; and 3 cities were rated Grade IV, accounting for 0.9%.

The average equivalent sound level in 321 prefecture-level and above cities that conducted nighttime road traffic noise monitoring was 58.1 dB(A). Of these, 151 cities were rated as having a first-level road traffic noise environmental quality, accounting for 47.0%; 56 cities were rated as second-level, accounting for 17.4%; 37 cities were rated as third-level, accounting for 11.5%; 44 cities were rated as fourth-level, accounting for 13.7%; and 33 cities were rated as fifth-level, accounting for 10.3%.

(3) Acoustic environment in urban functional areas

Among the 311 prefecture-level and above cities that conduct environmental sound monitoring in functional zones, the compliance rate for various functional zones during the day is 92.6%, while the compliance rate at night is 73.5%.

Seven, radiation

(1) Environmental ionizing radiation

The national environmental ionizing radiation level is within the background fluctuation range. The real-time continuous air absorbed dose rate and cumulative dose are within the fluctuation range of the local natural background. The activity concentration of natural radionuclides in the air is at the background level, and the activity concentration of artificial radionuclides is not abnormal. The seven major river basins of the Yangtze River, Yellow River, Pearl River, Songhua River, Huaihe River, Haihe River and Liaohe River