Hebei regions set to become national green bases

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment announced on Nov 18 that two areas in North China’s Hebei province, have been included in a list of 51 places to be national practice and innovation bases for the “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets” development philosophy.

Zanhuang county in Shijiazhuang and Fuxing district in Handan, along with the other 49 areas, are set to become bases that promote the innovation of the ecological civilization model, create green brands, and become model areas that other parts of China can replicate.

In recent years, Fuxing district government has doubled down on efforts to create more green spaces and govern local water systems. It has banned the operation of high-polluting industrial companies. The Fuxing district government has reduced the steel production capacity by 4.77 million metric tons, the coal output capacity by 3.17 million tons, and the thermal power production capacity by 51,000 kilowatts. About 1,000 hectares of land has been restored for city renewal and industry development.

The district has set up its own industrial system that features five sectors – high-end equipment manufacturing, health maintenance, new economy, modern automobile trading, and modern logistics. A batch of eco-friendly and competitive high-tech projects have also been launched.

Traditional industrial sectors have carried out technical transformations to ensure that energy and resources can be utilized efficiently.

In addition, Fuxing district has created 6,666.67 hectares of forests over the past three years, and its forest coverage rate has surged to 51.8 percent from 21 percent in 2016.