Ecological problems are crucial for Xiong’an New District, yet what are the measures that should be taken by the Chinese government to protect the environment? Chinese President Xi Jinping is rather concerned on this issue and he claims that there are difficulties to solve this problem. From the perspective of urban development, as the population continues to accumulate and constructions are carried out, pollution and ecological pressure will follow. It depends on how serious is the pollution and ecological pressure.
Anbound’s chief researcher Chan Kung believes that the two main concerns are water resource and haze. Water resource in Xiong’an New District is a complicated issue. How the relevant authorities manage the ecosystem sustainability and how they manage water pollution is quite important. Haze is another concern. Even though the area is well developed, any haze will bring a negative impact to the population and also the industries in Xiong’an. The development of the area would be the largest infrastructure project in the history of modern China with the aim of alleviating overcrowding in the capital However, disparities in the regional development might cause haze and greenhouse effect. Countries such as Japan and Korea are also facing the same problem. There is no exception that Xiong’an might also face the haze problem as there are new constructions in the area. These are the main concerns that the government of China should take into consideration, yet it appears there are no proper solutions to sort this problem out.
Anbound has carried out a research on these two issues and has come to a conclusion. Rainwater diversion can be a cost effective and sustainable solution. It is a method of managing stormwater that keeps it from entering the sewer system. The water then can be channeled into the surface landscape or a catchment system to be re-used in other forms after being filtered.
Haze would be an issue that is not easy to be handled. Xiong’an’s density, narrow roads, priority given in public transportation, setting up of industrial areas, and population control can help to control the condition of the haze. However, it cannot escape from the serious haze that is present in Northern China. How then, can this be solved?
Chan Kung suggested urban forest as a solution. There is only a small group of people seem to fathom and understand this concept. Landlords rather sell out their land instead of collaborate with developers to utilize the lands for urban forest projects. Such projects help by reducing the level of haze, beautifying the area and making the air fresher. Furthermore, it also helps to maintain the concentration of PM2.5/PM10. When the concerned parties pay more attention to this issue and the policy and strategy is able to be finalized, the people who is engaged to the greening of the environment will stand out for these changes.
There is a difference between urban forest and greening. The government of China can attract more investors from other countries and boost the economy in China by implementing urban forest in Xiong’an. This is because Xiong’an is a new area where there is high possibility and potential to become an innovational industrial area. Due to lack of land in China, there is difficulty to implement urban forest project. For instance, Beijing’s current geography setup means that it has no opportunity to implement such project. Since Xiong’an is a new area, there is still a chance to see changes happen if the party concerned has the required insight and foresight. By implementing urban forest project, it brings a new hope and might transform Xiong’an to become an innovative area.
Final analysis conclusion:
When the government of China takes these two issues seriously, Xiong’an will fundamentally develop into a modern city that is green, intelligent and livable, with relatively strong competitiveness and harmonious human-environment interaction.
