Notwithstanding the smog enveloping the area, people do their rounds of exercise on the street at Runan County of Zhumadian in Henan Province on Dec. 23, 2015. (Photo : Getty Images)
Action speaks louder than words and the provincial government of Henan Province strongly advocates this adage, particularly when handling environmental issues.
In Henan, how the officials respond to environmental concerns serves as one important criterion when assessing their eligibility for promotion, reported China Daily.
Appointments to a higher position in the local government of Henan entail evaluating the actions made by officials regarding solving environmental problems, such as air pollution.
It also follows that projects endorsed by officials that eventually caused harm to the environment shall lessen the chances of those officials from getting promoted.
Air pollution not only endangers the environmental state of Henan Province. According to Xie Fuzhan, Henan’s Party chief, it is likewise socially and economically detrimental for the province.
Xie said that government officials should not only focus on economic development. They should also address environmental concerns as part of their responsibility.
Henan uses unmanned aerial vehicles to monitor the environment, reported DNAIndia.com. Other provinces such as Hebei, Heilongjiang, Shaanxi and Shandong also deploy UAVs for the same purpose.
The government aims to reduce PM2.5 levels every year. Failure to do so shall result in a 400,000-yuan fine per microgram.
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) “refers to airborne particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter,” according to the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment.
As an air pollutant, fine particulate matter poses a threat to human health.
“When air quality improves, health costs from air pollution-related diseases shrink, worker productivity expands and life expectancy grows,” said Dr. Carlos Dora, World Health Organization Coordinator Public Health and the Environment Department, in a news release by WHO dated May 12, 2016.
According to AQICN.org, which provides real-time air quality index for more than 60 countries, the AQI of Anyang in Henan Province read 255 (“ Very Unhealthy”) at 12 noon on July 7.
