A study of the system of the Annual Assessment of Urban Environmental Quality in China

by Leung, Kai-fai

(Uncorrected OCR) Abstract of Dissertation titled A Study of the System of the Annual Assessment of Urban Environmental Quality in China Submitted by Leung Kai Fai Edward for the Degree of Master of Arts at The University of Hong Kong in June 2005 This dissertation attempts to examine the system of the annual assessment of urban environmental quality (AAUEQ) in China and to evaluate its impacts on local authorities and the environment. The AAUEQ is an environmental management tool adopted by the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) to grade and rank cities according to environmental quality with the results published by the media. Instead of the traditional coercive approach, it is the first time that the SEPA has ever instituted a policy providing a lure for local authorities to protect the environment as satisfactory publicized assessment results bring them fame and other forms of rewards. A certain degree of public monitoring is also involved in the system. Generally speaking, the indicators and the assessment mechanism are sophisticated and robust, making the system effective in portraying the true picture of urban environmental quality in spite of the shortcomings of some of the indicators, of the assessment mechanism, and occasional reports of ineffectual and corrupted bureaucracy. Finally, this study is concluded by recommendations for ways of further in-depth inquiry into the system. 2