Pollution

Ten stories you should have read on chinadialogue in 2014

We pick out the most popular stories published on chinadialogue from the past year, including our in-depth investigation into China’s soil pollution crisis

Our top 10 list includes coverage of China’s water and air crisis, new environmental laws and the landmark China-US climate statement. 

1. China’s water pollution will be more difficult to fix than its dirty air
China’s new billion dollar plan to tackle water pollution will take longer and be more expensive than efforts to deal with air pollution, argues Ma Jun

2. China's air pollution reporting is misleading
Real-time air quality assessments are critical for helping limit public exposure to high levels of air pollution, argues analyst Steven Q. Andrews

3. World's largest hydropower project planned for Tibetan Plateau
The cascade of dams planned for the Yarlung Tsangpo river and its tributaries – including one three times the size of the Three Gorges Dam – threatens an already fragile environment

4. Four reasons why the China-US climate statement matters
Zou Ji, deputy director of China's National Centre for Climate Change Strategy, welcomes an “historic” agreement from the world’s two biggest emitters

5. Special report: The victims of China's soil pollution crisis
Rapid industrialisation has left a legacy of soil pollution that is damaging health and livelihoods in villages across China

6. China’s bottled water: the next health crisis?
Recent contamination and counterfeit scandals have escalated safety concerns over China's fragmented bottled water industry

7. Polluted farmland leads to Chinese food security fears
Agricultural pollution means that China’s food security will increasingly rely on food imports

8. China's new environmental law looks good on paper
The success of China's new environmental law will be in its implementation, says chinadialogue's Beijing editor Liu Jianqiang

9. The three-year battle for China’s new environmental law
The Environmental Protection Law provides the authorities with powerful instruments to lead China into a cleaner future

10. The drying up of China's largest freshwater lake
Local fishermen and wildlife lose out as Poyang Lake falls victim to drought and dams

Also, don’t forget to read our special report on China’s soil pollution crisis – Pollution and health in China: confronting the human crisis – available to download for free