ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that the Chinese government is moving towards a broader interpretation of environmental management that embraces regulations, legislation, economic incentives and, to a lesser degree, public participation. In effect, at least at the policy level, environmental reforms in China are increasingly aligned to international standards. The chapter argues against the prevailing scepticism by questioning the assumption that weak compliance is the only impediment to effective environmental management. It provides some insights to suggest that weak capacity could also be a major constraint. As many commentators have observed, environmental degradation in China is not new; the environment did not drastically alter at the onset of rapid economic growth in the early 1980s. The environmental effects of China’s population pressure combined with unsustainable practices are palpable. According to SEPA’s annual report released in June 1999, 90 per cent of China’s grasslands have become degraded and desertification now covers one-third of China’s land base.
