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One of the serious negative consequences of the People's Republic Of China 's rapid industrial development has been increased Pollution and degradation of natural resources. Much solid waste is not properly disposed of. Water pollution is a source of health problems across the country and air pollution causes up to 750,000 premature deaths each year. China's polluted environment is largely a result of the country's rapid development and consequently a large increase in Primary Energy consumption, which is primarily provided by coal power plants. China has pursued a development model which prioritizes Exports -led Growth (similar to many other East Asia n countries). Efforts to control China's pollution problem have become a top priority of the Chinese leadership. In March 1998, the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) was officially upgraded to a Ministry-level Agency , reflecting the growing importance the PRC Government places on environmental protection. in a polluted day, Beijing .]] The Chinese government has placed a greater concern on environmental issues since the early 21st century. In 2004, the central government instituted the Green Gross Domestic Product project, in order to determine the true gross domestic product, adjusted to compensate for negative environmental effects. The results were so much worse than projected that the program was suspended entirely in 2007. In 2005, the eleventh Five-year Plan contained special emphasis on the nation's environmental degradation. In his annual address in 2007, Premier Wen Jiabao made 48 references to "environment," "pollution," or "environmental protection." {Link without Title} LAND POLLUTION Approximately 30% of China's surface area is desert. China's rapid industrialization could cause this area to drastically increase. The Gobi desert in the north currently expands by about 950 square miles per year. The vast plains in northern China used to be regularly flooded by the Yellow river. In the past 50 years, industrial exploitation in the form of dams and other irrigation infrastructure have all but halted the river's natural course, threatening to dry up the entire river valley and convert the plains into a giant dustbowl of unimaginable scale. Recent droughts, deforestation and global warming only serve to bring the region closer to catastrophe. In many cases, local government officials have failed to enforce, or simply ignored environmental edicts made by the central government. In 2007 a barren face of Laoshou Mountain (老首山), in Fumin County , near Kunming in the southwestern province of Yunnan , was Spray Paint ed green, in order to cover up damage caused by two decades of quarrying. {Link without Title} WATER POLLUTION Almost all of the nation's rivers are considered polluted to some degree, and half of the population lacks access to clean to northern cities, including Beijing and Tianjin . AIR POLLUTION near Beijing]] According to the People's Republic of China's own evaluation, two-thirds of the 338 cities for which air-quality data are available are considered polluted-- two-thirds of them moderately or severely so. Respiratory and Heart Disease s related to Air Pollution are the leading cause of death in China. Acid Rain falls on 30% of the country. China environmental laws are among the strictest in the world, but enforcing these laws has been difficult in China. The World Health Organization has found that about 750,000 people die prematurely each year from respiratory problems in China. WATER PROJECTS See Also: China water crisis The question of environmental impacts associated with the Three Gorges Dam project has generated controversy among Environmentalist s inside and outside China. Critics claim that erosion and silting of the Yangtze River threaten several endangered species, while Chinese officials say the dam will help prevent devastating Flood s and generate clean Hydroelectric Power that will enable the region to lower its dependence on coal, thus lessening air pollution. A large "south-to-north" water diversion project, will cost US$57 billion, take 50 years to construct, and divert water from China's four largest rivers to the Municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin , and the province of Hebei . Water Technology CO<SUB>2</SUB> EMISSIONS AND GLOBAL WARMING See Also: Global warming Coalization China can suffer some of the effects of global warming, including Sea Level Rise and Glacier Retreat . ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT RIOTS Industrial pollution has its most severe impact on the poor and in China, pollution incidents have been so serious as to be the cause of Riot ing in recent years. The lack of Democracy and the level of Corruption in development of factories and plants is a source of tension. SEE ALSO
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