China Builds More Ecological Demonstration ZonesChina has decided to turn the Lixia River valley in Jiangsu Province into an ecological demonstration zone.The valley, covering an area of 14,500 sq km, is to meet the economic, social, and environmental requirements of the country's sustainable development strategy by 2005. China, worrying about its worsening environment, plans to build ecological demonstration zones in 140 of its 2,000 counties and prefectures in the next five years. An official with China's State Environmental Protection Administration said the move is part of the country's endeavor to achieve a fast economic growth while maintaining a healthy environment. China began to construct ecological demonstration zones in 1995. By the end of last year, 33 counties and prefectures across the country had ecological demonstration zones. According to the official, the environmental requirements contain 19 specific development targets, including the forest coverage rate, the consumption rate of environment-friendly energy, and reduction in consumption of farm chemicals and chemical fertilizers, as well as the quality of air. |
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