BEIJING: A vast population across northern China, encompassing tens of millions of individuals, currently faces severe pollution warnings, with authorities strongly advising citizens to curtail outdoor activities amidst the pervasive greyish smog blanketing the region.
This crisis has unfolded in several areas of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in northern China, which serves as the home for over 100 million residents.
In the capital city of Beijing, authorities declared an orange alert, marking the nation’s second-highest level of pollution warning. Simultaneously, in various densely populated areas of Hebei province, which encircles the capital, authorities raised their alert status to red, signifying the highest pollution warning.
On Tuesday, the air quality monitoring firm IQAir ranked Beijing as the fifth most-polluted major city on the planet, positioning it just ahead of the Indian metropolis of Mumbai. In response to the grim environmental conditions, authorities have explicitly recommended that residents “reduce going out and strenuous outdoor exercise in the near future,” as reported by the state news agency Xinhua.
Moreover, authorities are actively implementing limitations on the number of construction and transportation vehicles permitted on the roadways. In some sections of Hebei, a dire official forecast revealed that the hazy conditions had diminished visibility to a mere 50 meters or less.
In the neighboring city of Tianjin, located south of Beijing and inhabited by approximately 15 million residents, the local meteorological bureau advised individuals with respiratory issues to refrain from outdoor activities and to wear protective masks if they do venture outside.
Official meteorological forecasts attribute this smog crisis to “unfavorable weather conditions” and anticipate that it will persist in the region until temperatures drop from their unseasonably high levels later in the week.
Although Beijing authorities have yet to issue their highest red alert, which would trigger strict measures, including traffic restrictions that limit the operation of vehicles with license plates ending in even and odd numbers on alternate days, they continue to monitor the situation closely.
In 2015, Beijing declared a “war on pollution” after successfully securing its bid for the Winter Olympics. This initiative entailed the closure of numerous coal plants and the relocation of heavy industries, signifying the city’s commitment to shed its notorious reputation as one of the most polluted urban centers globally.
While there has been noticeable progress in recent years, the region’s air quality remains significantly below the standards established by the World Health Organization. As the world’s most substantial emitter of greenhouse gases linked to climate change, particularly carbon dioxide (CO2), China faces ongoing challenges to address environmental issues.
In April, Greenpeace reported that China had approved a substantial expansion of coal power capacity during the same year. Such decisions sparked concerns that China may backtrack on its commitments to reach emissions peak levels between 2026 and 2030 and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
