A Study of China’s Air Pollution Prevention and Control Policy Framework from a Policy Instrument Perspective

Environmental pollution caused by rapid economic development like that seen in China over the past twenty years poses various threats to human health. People have started to place much more of an emphasis on environmental security, working to find a balance between sustainability and economic growth. In recent years, air pollution has emerged as a highly discussed topic of social and environmental relevance in China, due in part to persistent smog that affects everyday life and causes serious harm to human health. Although air pollution is normally associated with human activity, is can be caused by natural processes such as eruptions and forest fires, but is always characterized by the release of certain substances into the atmosphere which, when present in certain concentrations or for given durations, can harm human health, daily life, productivity, and other aspects. In humans, it mainly affects the respiratory system, notably the lungs, as well as the immune system. A series of studies both in China and overseas have shown, in certain cases, even low concentrations of air pollution can pose a great threat to human health. In this study, we conducted an analysis of air quality policies, focusing on the 2018 revision of the People’s Republic of China’s Law on the Prevention and Control of Air Pollution(LPCAP). We utilized the content analysis method and Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory to construct a policy framework, demarcate analysis units, code and classify policy texts, determine descriptive statistics, and analyze dimensional interactions. We used two dimensions(basic policy instruments classified as demand-, supply-, and environment-side;and air carrying capacity) to quantify and analyze the LPCAP, which enabled us to analyze the deficiencies and conflicts within policy instruments. The results show a higher utilization frequency of environment-side policy instruments, particularly regulation management and strategic measures. This reflects efforts by the government to create a favorable environment for improving air quality. Additionally, supply-side policy instruments are used far less frequently than environment-side policy instruments. Air quality legal policies and pollution control measures mainly consist of environment-side policy instruments;ecological thinking and air quality policies that are based mainly on supply-side and environment-side policy instruments;and social coordination policies that mainly use environment-side policy instruments. Based on the results of this study, we recommend an increase in the number of supply-and demand-side policy instruments, particularly the latter which includes promoting ecological thinking amongst citizens, to optimize and improve air pollution prevention and control policies.

Effects of policies and containment measures on control of COVID- 19 epidemic in Chongqing

BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is an emerging,rapidly evolving disease that spreads through the respiratory system and is highly contagious.In March 2020,the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.In China,the pandemic was controlled after 2 mo through effective policies and containment measures.Describing the detailed policies and containment measures used to control the epidemic in Chongqing will provide a reference for the prevention and control of COVID-19 in other areas of the world.AIM To explore the effects of different policies and containment measures on the control of the COVID-19 epidemic in Chongqing.METHODS Epidemiological data on COVID-19 in Chongqing were prospectively collected from January 21 to March 15,2020.The policies and prevention measures implemented by the government during the epidemic period were also collected.Trend analysis was performed to explore the impact of the main policy measures on the effectiveness of the control of COVID-19 in Chongqing.As of March 15,the cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in Chongqing was 1.84/100000(576 cases)and the infection fatality rate was 1.04%(6/576).The spread of COVID-19 was controlled by effective policies that involved establishing a group for directing the COVID-19 epidemic control effort;strengthening guidance and supervision;ensuring the supply of daily necessities and medical supplies and equipment to residents;setting up designated hospitals;implementing legal measures;and enhancing health education.Medical techniques were implemented to improve the recovery rate and control the epidemic.Policies such as“the lockdown of Wuhan”,“initiating a first-level response to major public health emergencies”,and“implementing the closed management of residential communities”significantly curbed the spread of COVID-19.Optimizing the diagnosis process,shortening the diagnosis time,and constructing teams of clinical experts facilitated the provision of“one team of medical experts for each patient”treatment for severe patients,which significantly improved the recovery rate and reduced the infection fatality rate.CONCLUSION The prevention policies and containment measures implemented by the government and medical institutions are highly effective in controlling the spread of the epidemic and increasing the recovery rate of COVID-19 patients.

An assessment of China's joint prevention and control policy on sulfur dioxide emissions reduction:A spatial econometric analysis

Sulfur dioxide(SO_(2))is a typical pollutant that affects human health,climate,and environmental and ecological conditions.China has been experiencing high concentrations of SO_(2),particularly in urban areas,since the 1990s.In 2010,a"joint prevention and control"(JPC)policy was issued to address air pollution problems and strengthen the regulation of SO_(2)emissions.This study aimed to describe the mitigation effects of this policy on SO_(2)emissions in 116 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2017.We applied global and local Moran's I indices to confirm the presence of significant spatial autocorrelation in SO_(2)emissions and constructed four spatial models to assess the effect of the JPC policy in reducing SO_(2)emissions and its transmission mechanism.We found that the policy decreased SO_(2)emissions by 1.89×10^(4)tons,S0_(2)intensity by 1.70 tons per km^(2),and S0_(2)per capita of 158.49 tons per 10,000 people in each city,on average,all of which are significant changes.The empirical results also show that population growth,economic structure,and environmental protection significantly decrease SO_(2)emissions.Finally,we recommended policies to encourage regional cooperation under the JPC policy,with the aim of promoting furtherreductions in SO_(2)emissions.

The impact of the COVID-19 prevention and economic interventions on express delivery industry:Evidence from China

As a fundamental logistics service,the express delivery(ED)industry provides production and consumption activities to maintain efficient supply chain operations.It plays an important role in promoting industrial development and maintaining daily life and consumption.This study examined the effects of COVID-19 on the ED industry using ED package delivery data from 31 provinces(autonomous regions and municipalities)in China.Using a difference-in-differences method,the COVID-19 outbreak was found to have a positive effect and epidemic prevention and control(EPC)policies were found to have negative effects on the development of the ED industry.In addition to EPC policies,the Chinese government has implemented other short-term economic interventions(SEI),such as the resumption of work and production(RWP),policies to balance economic growth,and epidemic prevention.This study divided the pandemic period into three stages to analyze the different impacts of EPC and SEI policy changes on the ED industry.The RWP policies adopted during the pandemic positively impacted the volume and income of packages delivered to the ED industry.The conclusions of this study are significant for the ED industry in addressing public health emergencies and for the Chinese government to formulate EPC and SEI policies during epidemic periods.

Quantifying the Temporal and Spatial Spread of COVID-19:Empirical Evidence from Shanghai

The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has caused a grave threat to human life, health, and socio-economic development. It is of great significance to study the transmission mechanism of COVID-19 and evaluate the effect of epidemic prevention policies. This paper employs a spatial dynamic panel data(SDPD) model to analyze the temporal and spatial spread of COVID-19, incorporating the time-varying features of epidemic transmission and the impact of geographic interconnections.Empirical studies on the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai during early 2022 show that the intra-regional transmission of COVID-19 dominated the cross-regional one. Additionally, strict policies are found to effectively reduce the transmission risk of COVID-19 and curb the spillover effect of the epidemic in Shanghai on other regions. Based on these results, we provide three policy suggestions. Furthermore,this research methodology can be extended to investigate other infectious diseases, thereby providing a scientific framework and theoretical basis for evaluating the spread risk of pandemics and formulating appropriate strategies.

Health： a dream from reality to the future

This paper argues that health is a realistic productive force that may enhance the index of happiness. As the basis of all developments and the source of a person＇s and his/her family＇s happiness, health requires not only primary and secondary prevention, but also policy prevention, that is to say, grade-zero prevention. Therefore, people should pay more attention to Health in All Policies. As a new preventive strategy, the policy prevention will help improve people＇s health significantly and promote the concepts of ＂Healthy China＂ and ＂the Chinese Dream＂ or ＂the World Dream＂ to realize a dream from reality to the future.