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World Bank Chinese delegation visits Wageningen
A delegation of World Bank and China’s environmental protection department paid a visit to Wageningen University & Research on June 6th, and had a meeting in IMPULSE building with researchers of Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands National Institute for Health and Environment and Ministry Economic Affairs. Air quality management is the main topic of this meeting. Xiaoyong Zhang, manager international cooperation China of WUR, host this meeting.
Pollution Management and Environmental Health
Air pollution has become a common issue for urban areas in China. To address the increasing air pollution concerns, the Government of China (GoC) at different levels issued air pollution and control action plans since 2013. The GoC has included PM2.5 as a binding target in the 13th Five Year Plan (FYP) for 2016 to 2020. The World Bank launched the Pollution Management and Environmental Health (PMEH) program in April 2015. One of the objectives of the PMEH is to reduce substantively air and land pollution levels and thereby improving environmental health outcomes in selected client countries. China has requested support from the PMEH program to focus on assisting the Jingjinji (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) region in developing their next phase of air quality management (AQM) plans. The objectives of this delegation are to support international policy and technology exchange on regional AQM planning.
Researchers from the Dutch side introduced progress in studies and policy on nitrogen emissions related to agriculture production in Netherlands, including the basic information of WUR and research programs related to “agriculture and air quality”; 70 % reduction of agricultural ammonia emissions from 1990 to 2015 in Netherlands; nitrogen monitoring and controlling under the framework “Natura2000”; technologies to control ammonia emissions at different stages during animal production; key measures to reduce ammonia emissions from animal production in China. Wageningen University & Research hopes to cooperate with Chinese government in the future on air quality management issues.
Areas of interest
Members of the delegation are quite interested in the standards of nitrogen discharge in Netherlands and other Europe countries; proportion of crop production and animal production in ammonia emissions; and the impact of policy to the farmers etc.
Yu Jianhua, chief engineer of Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, pointed out that Wageningen University has a systematic research methods in agricultural production and animal manure management. is currently Research and management in these areas in China are relatively weak, a long-term system planning is needed when dealing with air pollution problems in China.
Lu Shize, director of Department of Environmental Quality Management, Ministry of Environmental Protection, pointed out that China has carried out a nationwide air pollution research project, Wageningen University has high level of research in agricultural production and related environmental impact areas, the Chinese and Dutch sides should strengthen cooperation on air quality management in the future.
The delegation visited the slurry injection facilities in Unifarm of WUR after the meeting.