Shaanxi Province in northwest China has made remarkable progress in reconciling high-quality development with ecological protection in recent years, featuring improvements in the Qinling Mountains, the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, as well as air quality, sewage treatment and business environment, said a local official in Xi'an, the provincial capital, on Monday.
At a press conference, Wu Zhongtao, deputy director of the Department of Ecology and Environment of Shaanxi, made the remarks when briefing on the province's achievements in ecological and environmental protection and restoration.
"In 2024, the ecological quality index for the Shaanxi section of the Qinling Mountains reached the highest category of Class I, and the area with excellent ecological environment remained over 99 percent. The water quality of the main stream of the Yellow River section in Shaanxi has met the national Class II standard for three consecutive years. In the Yangtze River section in Shaanxi, the water quality of all national and provincial monitored parts have met the Class II standard or higher, with eight national monitored ones reaching Class I," said Wu.
From January to September this year, the air quality index improved by 8.3 percent compared with the previous year across the province's 10 cities, while the average PM2.5 concentration decreased by 9.8 percent. Notably, the province has seen good air quality every day. In terms of improving rural environment, the province has completed sanitary sewage treatment in 8,547 villages.
"We will continue to optimize the business environment in the ecological and environmental sector and take concrete actions to promote ecological protection so as to meet the local people's new expectations for a beautiful environment and a better life, and support high-quality economic and social development across the province with a high-quality ecological environment," he said.
Shaanxi makes remarkable progress in ecological protection
Though tens of billions of pesos spent on flood control projects in recent years in the Philippines, questions have been raised about the value of that investment as flooding from Typhoon Kalmaegi left at least 114 people dead and 127 missing, with more than 2.14 million people affected nationwide.
In Talisay City, Cebu Province, homes have been reduced to rubble, mud has clogged up streets and families are left picking through the wreckage of homes that have been swept away by floodwaters.
"I saw a banana being washed away and I grabbed it for breakfast. It's very hard because our food at home, like rice, also got washed away. We used to live here, but most of our houses have been swept away,”said Mary Jean Apog who has taken shelter in a makeshift tent built from storm debris.
Many residents in flood-affected areas have been left wondering whether money earmarked by the government for flood control projects has been spent wisely.
Between 2022 and 2025, more than 400 flood-protection projects worth over 26 billion pesos (about 441 million U.S. dollars) have been launched in Cebu, the second highest investment of all the nation's provinces.
Vince Dizon, secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) visited Talisay City on Wednesday, where he said people should be held accountable for the poor state of the region's flood defenses.
"Poorly planned, poorly executed, and we don't know if there are anomalies here. That will be up to the ICI (Independent Commission on Infrastructure) to find. But definitely, someone should be held accountable here," he said.
According to the country's disaster management authority, more than 6,700 houses were damaged in the typhoon, and hospitals, schools, and other public facilities suffered extensive damage. Power and communications were disrupted in many towns, closing schools and businesses.
Authorities have declared a state of emergency in response to the disaster.
Flood control projects under question as Typhoon wreaks havoc in Philippines
