City continues improving air and water quality

Shanghai is striving to create a more comfortable living space for its residents, featuring fresh air, clean water, a green environment and harmonious coexistence of humans and wildlife.

The air pollution index, PM2.5, has been cut in half since 2013 – 27 micrograms per cubic meter last year compared with 62 in 2013 – a record low.

"We have more 'crystal days' with fresher air in Shanghai now," Cheng Peng, head of Shanghai's Bureau of Ecology and Environment, told a press conference on Tuesday.

The city's water quality also continues to improve, with dark, polluted rivers mostly cleared in 2018 and 80.6 percent of the major rivers in Shanghai's water system reaching Class III, the third of a five-level water quality classification system in China, the best ever recorded in the city.

Class III water can be used for drinking and for fisheries.

The aquatic organism biodiversity indexes of the Huangpu River, Suzhou Creek and Dianshan Lake have been improving year on year, coupled with a growing number of fish.

"The beautiful ecological scene of crystal-clear water and green shores with fish have returned to the city," said Cheng. "The Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek have become some of Shanghai's most enchanting scenery."

The city's biodiversity restoration is teeming with wildlife, such as the return of raccoon dogs and reed parrotbills.

The city's forest coverage reached 19.4 percent by the end of last year, with per capita greenery space amounting to 8.8 square meters.