On June 5, Ministry of Environmental Protection released the 2016 Report on the State of the Environment in China. The Report shows that, in 2016, the average percentage of excellent good days of the 74 cities enforcing new ambient air quality standards at Stage I was 74.2%, up by 3% from 2015; mean concentration of PM2.5 was 9.1% lower than in 2015. Among these, the percentage of excellent good days of Beijing was 54.1%, up by 3.1% from 2015.
Air
The overall air quality in cities all over the country tended to be good, and the mean concentration of PM2.5 was 9.1% lower than in 2015.
According to the monitoring data in the Report, in 2016, the average percentage of excellent good days of 338 cities at or above prefecture level was 78.8%, up by 2.1% from 2015; the average percentage of days exceeded the national standard was 21.2%.
Among the 474 cities (districts, countries) under precipitation monitoring, the mean annual pH value of rainfalls was below 5.6 (acid rain) in 19.8% of the monitored cities, the acid rain frequency was 12.7%, the overall category of acid rain was still sulfuric acid. The acid rain mainly spread in the area south of the Yangtze River and east of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau.
Water sources
Water environment quality was in stable condition, the sections meeting the Grade I and worse than Grade V reduced at the same time.
The Report indicates that among the 897 in-use centralized source water monitoring sections (points) in 338 cities at or above prefecture level, 811 met the standard throughout the year, accounting for 90.4%.
With respect to marine environment, the Report shows that, in spring and summer of 2016, sea areas that met the Grade I standard on sea water quality accounted for 95% of the total sea areas that China has jurisdiction of, sea areas worse than the Grade IV standard totaled 42,430 km2 and 37420 km2, which decreased by 9,310 km2 and 2,600 km2 respectively compared with that in 2015.
Land
Desertification and sandification were overall curbed and showed a good momentum of enhanced function.
The Report shows that, by the end of 2015, there had been 645.4568 million hectare agricultural land. Based on the results of the fifth national monitoring program on desertification and sandification, by the end of 2014, the overall desertification land covered an area of 2.6116 million hectares, and the area of sandified land was 1.7212 million hectares. Compared with 2019, the area of desertification land was reduced by 12,120 km2, with an average annual decrease of 2,424 km2; sandified land was reduced by 9902 km2, with an average annual decrease of 1,980 km2. Since 2004, the 3 rounds of monitoring showed that desertification and sandification were both reduced, and a good momentum featuring the desertification and sandification being overall curbed, continuously reduced with the function enhanced and with telling effect was formed. However, the prevention and control situation is still severe.
The 2016 Report on the State of the Environment in China was jointly compiled and completed by Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministry of Land and Resources, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Agriculture, National Health and Family Planning Commission, National Bureau of Statistics, State Forestry Administration, China Earthquake Administration, China Meteorological Administration, National Energy Administration, the State Oceanic Administration and other authorities. It is a public annual report to reflect the 2016 state of environment in China.
（Source：China Environment Media）
