Environmental Protection Attempts in the Early Days …
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feature of China’s environmental governance at this stage. Local governments mainly
made efforts in the following four aspects:
(1) Establishment of environmental protection agencies. The establishment of
environmental protection agencies laid the organizational foundation for environmental protection. At this stage, a few provincial-level administrative units
were established in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Heilongjiang and Xinjiang,
as well as cities with a relatively high level of industrial activities such as
Anshan, Wuhan, Harbin, Nanjing, Nanchang, Qiqihar, Baoding, Qingdao, and
Jilin for environmental protection, mostly industrial waste management offices.
However, as far as I know, the central government had not established any
similar agency before 1969. Compared with local sanitation supervision agencies, these agencies had clearly specified environmental protection duties and
were more similar to modern environmental protection agencies. The emergence of this type of government entities reflected the transition from environmental sanitation to environmental protection. Most of these environmental
protection agencies were established during the period of national economic
adjustment between the end of the Great Leap Forward and the beginning of
the Cultural Revolution.
(2) Promulgation of pollution prevention policies and regulations. The formulation
of specialized environmental protection regulations and policies laid the institutional foundation for environmental protection. In the process of industrial
pollution prevention and control, the governments of Jiangxi, Heilongjiang,
Wuhan, and Harbin issued documents and regulations according to local conditions. For example, from 1960 to 1965, Harbin successively promulgated eight
policies and regulations emphasizing the management of industrial waste and
domestic sewage. In terms of content, these policies and regulations were more
detailed and regionally specific than those issued by the central government.
They were also issued during the adjustment period of China’s economy.
(3) Environmental surveys. Environmental surveys constituted the basis for objective assessment of environmental conditions and evidence-based policymaking concerning the environment. During this period, the central government did not directly organize environmental surveys, but Beijing, Qinghai,
Heilongjiang, Chongqing, Anshan, Baoding, Wuhan, Foshan, Jilin, Nanhai
and other provinces, cities and counties carried out environmental surveys
which primarily focused on industrial pollution. These surveys were basically
conducted by health and epidemic prevention agencies during the period of
national economic adjustment. On the one hand, it shows that that the dominant
environmental concept at the time was still environmental sanitation. On the
other hand, it also shows that even if some provinces and cities did establish
environmental protection agencies such as waste management offices, such
agencies still lacked the administrative power and capabilities necessary to
organize environmental protection efforts.
(4) Adoption of environmental management measures. During this period, at the
level of local environmental governance, the “three simultaneous” idea was
107
feature of China’s environmental governance at this stage. Local governments mainly
made efforts in the following four aspects:
(1) Establishment of environmental protection agencies. The establishment of
environmental protection agencies laid the organizational foundation for environmental protection. At this stage, a few provincial-level administrative units
were established in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Heilongjiang and Xinjiang,
as well as cities with a relatively high level of industrial activities such as
Anshan, Wuhan, Harbin, Nanjing, Nanchang, Qiqihar, Baoding, Qingdao, and
Jilin for environmental protection, mostly industrial waste management offices.
However, as far as I know, the central government had not established any
similar agency before 1969. Compared with local sanitation supervision agencies, these agencies had clearly specified environmental protection duties and
were more similar to modern environmental protection agencies. The emergence of this type of government entities reflected the transition from environmental sanitation to environmental protection. Most of these environmental
protection agencies were established during the period of national economic
adjustment between the end of the Great Leap Forward and the beginning of
the Cultural Revolution.
(2) Promulgation of pollution prevention policies and regulations. The formulation
of specialized environmental protection regulations and policies laid the institutional foundation for environmental protection. In the process of industrial
pollution prevention and control, the governments of Jiangxi, Heilongjiang,
Wuhan, and Harbin issued documents and regulations according to local conditions. For example, from 1960 to 1965, Harbin successively promulgated eight
policies and regulations emphasizing the management of industrial waste and
domestic sewage. In terms of content, these policies and regulations were more
detailed and regionally specific than those issued by the central government.
They were also issued during the adjustment period of China’s economy.
(3) Environmental surveys. Environmental surveys constituted the basis for objective assessment of environmental conditions and evidence-based policymaking concerning the environment. During this period, the central government did not directly organize environmental surveys, but Beijing, Qinghai,
Heilongjiang, Chongqing, Anshan, Baoding, Wuhan, Foshan, Jilin, Nanhai
and other provinces, cities and counties carried out environmental surveys
which primarily focused on industrial pollution. These surveys were basically
conducted by health and epidemic prevention agencies during the period of
national economic adjustment. On the one hand, it shows that that the dominant
environmental concept at the time was still environmental sanitation. On the
other hand, it also shows that even if some provinces and cities did establish
environmental protection agencies such as waste management offices, such
agencies still lacked the administrative power and capabilities necessary to
organize environmental protection efforts.
(4) Adoption of environmental management measures. During this period, at the
level of local environmental governance, the “three simultaneous” idea was