The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has witnessed improved air quality with lower concentrations of pollutants, including an average PM2.5 concentration reduction of 33 percent in 2016 compared with 2013, Zhao Yingmin, vice minister of environmental protection, said at a press conference.

In 2016, Tianjin’s air quality index and the average PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations all decreased by 26.7, 28.1 and 31.3 percent, respectively.

However, this does not mean air pollution has been eradicated - rather that further efforts are required to control pollution as haze can still be found hanging in the skies of North China, especially in winter.

Joint efforts for air pollution prevention and control

The 7th floor of Tianjin’s municipal atmospheric environment monitoring center is home to a newly established consultation center for the joint treatment and control of air pollution in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Unified monitoring, warning and classification standards of air pollution in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region will be implemented upon completion of the consultation center.

A big screen on the wall of the center hall is a vital component, linking environmental monitoring departments and professionals in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei, making it fast and convenient to analyze and assess air environmental situations and any development trends.

" Live consultations involve maximum concentration on utilizing the forecasting resources and the advantages of cooperation within the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surroundings," said Chen Kui, director of the department. "By taking both the local and overall situations into consideration, professionals can better forecast the regional air quality in a more accurate way."

He added that the consultation center will expand its service area to seven provinces and cities throughout the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to achieve a unified monitoring and daily air quality real-time joint video consultation, as well as taking synchronous measures to reduce emissions and regional air pollution accumulation.

Burning Ban

The decision on comprehensive utilization of crop straw and prohibition of open burning, passed by the Tianjin Municipal People's Congress, began official implementation on Mar 1. According to the decision, the act of burning straw or stalks in the open air is a form of air pollution and illegal.

The decision comes as environmental protection authorities claimed the burning of stalks and straw left over from the year's harvest contribute to dense air pollution, particularly in winter.

On the one hand, Tianjin government tries to impose penalties on such burning, and yet continues to decipher new methods to make good use of the stalk and straw. So far, 95 percent has been used as fodder, raw material for marsh gas and basic materials for edible fungus.

Reducing household coal use

Liuzhuang in Wuqing district became one of the pilot areas in Tianjin through a plan to replace coal-burning devices with those of clean energy. Two public proposals were held in the district, to bid for high quality air source heat pumps for the public. Ten companies were identified as the finalists, together with five other supervision enterprises.

According to Zhang Yi, secretary of the CPC party branch in Liuzhuang, all villagers in Liuzhuang, totaling 167 households, are now using an air source heat pump instead of coal to generate heat.

"When using coal heating stove in the past, the house was never warm enough to make the flowers blossom in winter," said Li Shanwei, a resident from Liuzhuang. "But thanks to the electric heating system, the temperature becomes habitable and remains constant. Unlike coal, electricity leaves no ash ," added Li’s wife.

By the end of 2016, about 31,000 local families benefited from electric heating. "In 2017, a further 109,000 households in 353 villages and 22 towns in Tianjin will complete the upgrade of their heating facilities," said Han Xuesong from the district’s development and reform commission.

Tianjin will also cut out all household coal-burning in Wuqing district by the end of Oct, 2017, as a further measure to reduce pollution. Villages will thereon use clean energy for heating, cooking and agriculture.