A man rows a boat through an oil slick on a lake in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, on March 16. Fuel leaking from ships severely contaminates the quality of the water in the lake. [Photo by Li Ruichang/China Daily]

3. Water

China released an Action Plan for Water Pollution Prevention and Control on April 16 this year, with a 2 trillion yuan ($320 billion) package in place, to tackle serious water pollution, aiming to intensify government efforts to reduce emissions of pollutants and to protect drinking water safety .

It said China will see a better water environment with reduced pollution for both surface and groundwater, safer drinking water and an improved coastal environment by 2020.

By 2020, 70 percent of the water quality in the seven major river basins, including the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, will be in the top two quality levels, rising to 75 percent by 2030.