Qu Geping makes it clear that environmental damage was well advanced by the early 1980s. Of the period of the Great Leap Forward, he notes,

Under a zealous drive, mineral resources were… exploited, resulting in startling losses and destruction to both topography and landscape. Biological resources, forests in particular, were seriously damaged, causing several losses to out eco-system. There was extensive destruction of the natural environment of our country.

Some of the damages to the ecosystem caused during the ‘Great Leap Forward’ have not been totally regained even after more than twenty years. (Qu, 1991, p.212).

Meanwhile,

During the ‘Cultural Revolution’ the country’s environmental conditions deteriorated rapidly to an extent from which it was hard to recover (Qu, 1991, p.218).