By Paul Davies, Andrew Westgate and Ei Nge Htut

In reforming and updating its environmental laws, China has until recently been focusing on air pollution. Attention is now turning to addressing water and soil pollution as well. For example, the Chinese government is now considering more robust penalties for those responsible for water pollution, indicating that the government could ban the building of homes and schools in areas with contaminated soil.

China’s issues with air pollution are well-known, with some urban areas experiencing particulate pollution levels exceeding those found in forest fires. A new study from Nanjing University’s School of the Environment estimates that smog kills 1.1 million people a year and is responsible for a third of deaths in China. As a result, the Chinese government is increasingly open to innovative prevention strategies. A recent example is the Liuzhou Forest City — designed by Stefano Boeri, an Italian architect famed for his “Vertical Forest” plant-covered skyscrapers. The Liuzhou Forest City will house up to 30,000 residents and is due for completion by 2020. Built across 175 hectares along the Liu River in Liuzhou, the Liuzhou Forest City will feature one million plants and 40,000 trees of over 100 different species that are intended to absorb 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and 57 tonnes of pollutants annually, producing 900 tonnes of oxygen in the process. In addition to reducing air pollution, it is predicted that the plant life should reduce average air temperatures, create a noise barrier, and provide a habitat for wildlife. A high-speed electric rail line with geothermal energy-powered air conditioning and solar panels for electricity will connect the new development to the city of Liuzhou.