This study analyzes the status, issues, and strategies of investment in China's medical and health sector. It underscores the critical role of a healthy workforce and health industry in driving economic growth, noting their importance for both public welfare and high-quality socio-economic progress. Through horizontal and vertical comparisons, the study highlights key issues: the low proportion of health expenditure to GDP, insufficient government investment, and an underdeveloped financing structure relative to international standards. Based on these findings, the study recommends: (1) shifting traditional perspectives on health investment to emphasize its critical importance, and incorporating health sector development goals into relevant performance evaluations; (2) increasing the scale of investment, establishing a stable, sustainable, and diversified government funding mechanism, integrating various forms of social resources, and expanding health financing channels; (3) enhancing investment efficiency by adopting a population health indicator-based framework for investment, monitoring, and evaluation, thereby advancing health governance modernization. The study advocates for positioning the medical and health sector at the core of economic development to achieve a synergistic advancement of health and the economy.
Population aging brings challenges and opportunities for economic and social development, and developing the silver economy is an important means to promote the well-being of the seniors, actively respond to population aging, and promote high-quality economic and social development. Currently, China's market regarding the aging population presents the trends of an increasing scale of demand subjects, transformation and upgrading of the demand structure, and highlighting of personalized and digital demand, and faces prominent challenges including insufficient supply of products and services dedicated for the seniors, lack of technological and financial support, and inadequate policies and standards systems. This study summarizes the international experience in developing the silver economy to cope with population aging, i.e., emphasizing the application of science and technologies and smart senior care, improving the supply of products and services for the seniors, promoting technological and financial support, and improving policy designs and relevant standards. On this basis, we propose the following countermeasures to promote the development of China's silver economy: (1) strengthening the research and application of engineering science and technologies to respond to market demand, (2) optimizing the supply of products and services for the seniors to balance supply and demand, (3) developing aging-adapted technologies and pension finance to stimulate market vitality, and (4) improving policy designs and relevant standards to ensure orderly development.
Actively responding to population aging, as an important national strategy of China, has a bearing on the overall situation of national development and the well-being of hundreds of millions of people, and is of great significance in promoting social harmony and stability, sustainable economic development, and the maintenance of social equity and justice. China has made a series of progress in coping with population aging. However, under the new situation of continuous deepening of the degree of aging, increasingly significant regional differences, further extension of the life expectancy of the population, continuous improvement of the quality of the elderly population, and development of emerging technologies, China is still faced with new challenges such as unbalanced socio-economic development, negative population growth aggravating the aging process, unhealthy longevity of the elderly population, lack of a sound health care service system, and the "digital divide" among the elderly. In the future, China needs to make further efforts to cope with population aging, including building a birth-friendly support system, improving the health service system, promoting the high-quality development of the social service system for the elderly, pushing forward the reform of the social security system oriented to healthy aging, building a support system for "active aging", pushing forward the high-quality development of the elderly health industry, and promoting engineering science and technology to help innovate services and products for the elderly, and creating a more friendly social environment.
China's aging population is large in size and is growing rapidly, causing a huge gap in the geriatric care resources. The smart geriatric care service based on health data has become an effective means to solve the geriatric care problem in China. This study presents the concept and development status of smart geriatric care and analyzes the promotion effect of smart geriatric care data on the development of geriatric care services in China. Moreover, it categorizes the smart geriatric care data into active, indirect, and passive health data, and elaborates on the basic characteristics of the smart geriatric care data, including multiple collection scenarios and instantaneity, multi-modes and complexity, interconnection of interdisciplinary multi-source data, and increasing scale benefits. The development of smart geriatric care data in China now faces challenges regarding fusion of multi-source heterogeneous data, data security and privacy, and data use ethics. To support the high-quality development of smart geriatric care data in China, it is necessary to conduct the standardized collection, real-time transmission, and pre-processing of smart geriatric care data using the Internet of Things, realize data feature extraction and real-time computing through the artificial intelligence technology, and safeguard data security using the blockchain technology. Furthermore, recommendations are proposed from the aspects of data standards system, digital infrastructure, digital security and privacy protection, data sharing, and talent training mechanism.
With population aging and lifestyle changes, the incidence of chronic diseases is on the rise, posing a significant challenge for public health and socio-economic development in China. To advance the Healthy China initiative, it is urgent to accelerate the establishment of chronic disease management strategies tailored to China and leverage cutting-edge information technologies to create innovative solutions for smart chronic-disease management. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the current models and emerging trends of chronic disease management enabled by advanced technologies, and identifies challenges faced by China in smart chronic-disease management, including uneven resource allocation, slow progress in information technology infrastructure, and insufficient patient compliance. Based on these insights and aligned with the current healthcare management system in China, this study proposes an overall strategy for smart chronic-disease management that is patient-centered and characterized by a "three-tier vertical management at national, county, and community levels", "multi-end collaboration among healthcare providers, patients, and management agencies", and "intelligent technological assistance throughout the management process". Additionally, it outlines a comprehensive path for the realization of this strategy. The study illustrates the practical utility of the proposed strategy by examining two emblematic cases: the intelligent management of hypertension via physician-patient-administration collaboration and the integrative electrocardiograph interpretation employing a human-intelligence hybrid approach. In the future, it is recommended to develop a region-based integrated chronic-disease prevention and control model, formulate long-term plans for smart chronic-disease management, and optimize the industry chain to enhance the intelligence and efficiency of the community-level chronic-disease management services, thereby providing stronger safeguards for public health.
Under the circumstances of severe population aging as well as prevalent and complex health problems among older adults, applying artificial intelligence technologies to promote the development of intelligent medical care for older adults has become a significant trend. This study focuses on the application of vocal biomarkers in intelligent medical care for older adults. It summarizes the typical applications of vocal biomarkers in medical care, international development support for vocal biomarker application, and challenges faced by the research and application of vocal biomarkers in China. It also proposes key research directions for vocal biomarkers in the field of intelligent medical care, including (1) clarifying and establishing an indicator system for vocal biomarkers of older adult; (2) developing equipment and tools for vocal biomarkers and formulating relevant research standards; (3) deepening basic research on the mechanisms by which vocal characteristics and vocal biomarkers are associated with health outcomes of older adults; (4) strengthening research on prediction models of health outcomes related to vocal biomarkers; (5) promoting the research and application of vocal biomarkers in assisting disease diagnosis and clinical decision-making; and (6) establishing a large population cohort and data platform for vocal biomarkers. Furthermore, the following development recommendations are proposed: (1) encouraging legal research and industry standards formulation related to vocal biomarkers, (2) focusing on the construction of interdisciplinary teams, (3) promoting data sharing while ensuring data security, and (4) optimizing the management of the large population cohort and data platform for vocal biomarkers. This study is expected to provide a basic reference for the technology exploration, application research, and industrial upgrading of vocal biomarkers in the field of intelligent medical care for older adults.
Developing an intelligent active surveillance and early warning system for infectious diseases is crucial for responding to major infectious disease outbreaks, advancing surveillance technologies, and enhancing monitoring and warning capabilities. An intelligent active surveillance and early warning system is also essential for realizing the scientific, timely, and accurate monitoring and early warning of major infectious disease outbreaks. This study examines the necessity of establishing an intelligent active surveillance and early warning system for infectious diseases, outlines the current status and existing problems of infectious disease surveillance and early warning systems both in China and abroad, and proposes a design framework for the intelligent active surveillance and early warning system for infectious disease outbreaks. The proposed system encompasses four key functional modules: multi-channel active surveillance, intelligent early warning, data-driven risk assessment, and smart response and evaluation. Progress has been made in developing critical technologies such as multi-source data fusion, intelligent early warning, multidimensional risk assessment, and smart disposal evaluation, thus providing a solid technical foundation for the system's construction and application. In the future, continued multidisciplinary collaboration is required to progressively establish and optimize this system, and this system will provide more effective tools for preventing and controlling the spread of major and emerging infectious diseases.
The medical foundation model performs efficient processing and pattern recognition of complex medical data based on a deep neural network architecture, providing a new type of decision support for intelligent medical care. It is necessary to systematically analyze the technologies and application of the medical foundation model, thus to identify the development directions and challenges and improve the capabilities of the medical care sector in medical text writing, medical image recognition, medical equipment research and development, and medical education using the medical foundation model. This study sorts out the technology paradigm and application scenarios of the medical foundation model and proposes a technology system and an evaluation system for the model. The technology system is composed of a base layer, a model layer, an application layer, and a common module. The evaluation system involves the establishment of an evaluation index system, dataset range and question types, model alignment methods, and model evaluation platforms. Moreover, application challenges of the medical foundation model are identified in terms of data security, technical risks, implementing challenges, and ethics. Furthermore, the following countermeasures are suggested: (1) ensuring data security through government guidance, (2) accelerating basic theoretical research to address technic risks, (3) focusing on application scenarios to cope with implementing challenges, (4) improving the ethics regulating mechanism, and (5) perfecting the public service system to create an innovation ecosystem, thereby accelerating the innovative development of the medical foundation model and promoting the high-end, intelligent, and green development of intelligent medical care in China.
The growing complexity of global health challenges and the increasing frequency of public health emergencies have highlighted the fragility of current health systems, which often struggle to address evolving population health needs and public health challenges. This study aims to construct a resilient health system framework tailored to China's context, drawing on a comprehensive review of existing international frameworks and an analysis of health system development trends. Anchored in the core concept of universal health, this framework defines the principles and foundational elements of a resilient health system, outlining key components and actionable strategies for its development. Integrating the strengths of internationally recognized frameworks, the proposed framework emphasizes multi-sectoral collaboration and health promotion, offering theoretical guidance for enhancing health security and public health governance. Key aspects of this framework include the deep integration of public health and healthcare systems, coordinated medical and preventive services, and cross-sectoral collaboration. Additionally, the framework promotes the "Health in All Policies" approach, aiming to improve the overall efficiency of the health system and strengthen the capacity to respond to public health emergencies.
The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) industry is one of the crucial industries in China's economic and social landscape. The realization of the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality ("dual carbon") goals and the implementation of high-quality development represent significant tendencies. Thus, under the guidance of the "dual carbon" goals, proposing a top-level design for industrial development holds both theoretical exploration and practical guiding values. This study examines the development status of the TCM industry from the perspectives of policy, economic, social, and technological environments, and deliberates on the necessity and possibility of carbon neutrality in this industry. It also clarifies the major challenges confronted by the low-carbon and high-quality development of the TCM industry, including the prominent contradiction between resource protection and utilization, insufficient promotion of ecological planting models, ambiguity of carbon footprint paths, need for improvement in green and low-carbon industrial chains, and weak synergy with related industries. The study contends that intensifying research on the carbon footprint of the TCM industry, developing low-carbon production technologies for TCM, and exploring diverse ecological agricultural technologies for TCM are viable paths for the high-quality development of the TCM industry in the context of carbon neutrality. Seven measures should be emphasized and implemented: (1) perfecting the support policies for the TCM industry to lay a solid foundation for high-quality development; (2) promoting the low-carbon development of the TCM industry by exerting the enabling role of standards; (3) innovating the TCM for agricultural and feed use to enhance the utilization efficiency of TCM resources; (4) promoting the circular and comprehensive utilization of TCM resources by tapping the carbon reduction potential of TCM; (5) constructing the low-carbon chain of the TCM industry to improve the synergy capacity of the industrial chain; (6) establishing a multi-party participation development path for the TCM industry and aggregating the elements for high-quality development of the industry; and (7) establishing a demonstration zone for the development of the TCM industry and facilitating the internationalization of the industry.
Developing major projects concerning the national water network and shoring up the construction of the national water network has strategic significance in comprehensively improving China's capacity to guarantee its water security and supporting its high-quality economic and social development. This study first discusses the necessity and urgency of constructing national water network projects based on China's water security situation. Consequently, it summarizes the technical achievements and practical experience regarding the construction from the aspects of planning, construction, and operation, drawing from the examples of the first stage of the South-to-North Water Diversion Middle Route Project, the water diversion project from the Three Gorges Reservoir to the Hanjiang River, and the water resource allocation project in the west region of Chongqing. Moreover, it explores the challenges in the high-quality construction of national water network projects and proposes several key technological research directions, including the construction principles and effectiveness evaluation systems, intelligent construction and performance maintenance, and intelligent regulation of the national water network projects. Furthermore, the following suggestions are proposed to promote high-quality construction of national water network projects and to guarantee future water security: (1) accelerating the construction of the follow-up projects of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project to complete the main framework of the national water network, (2) optimizing the regional layout of the water network project to support China's major regional development strategies, (3) promoting the demonstration projects that integrate the development of water network with other networks so as to enhance comprehensive benefits, and (4) promoting the application of digital technologies throughout the entire process of the construction and enhancing the water network's ability to serve social and economic development.
Flood is one of the most serious natural disasters, and China's flood control policies have transitioned from reducing disaster losses to mitigating disaster risks. Research on the driving factors and management approaches of flood risks will provide technical support for formulating and implementing flood control strategies, with great significance for adopting diversified measures to improve flood risk management and reduce flood losses. Based on the research progresses relating flood risk management in China and abroad, this study elucidates the major components or driving factors of flood risks, explores the major approaches to reducing flood risks, and analyzes the environment for effectively implementing flood risk management. The results indicate: (1) Flood risks depend not only on the hazardous flood, but also on the exposure and vulnerability of the economy and society threatened by flood; (2) the risk of flood disasters cannot be completely eliminated, but can be regulated to an acceptable level by implementing a series of measures at different stages of prevention, preparedness, emergency response, and post disaster reconstruction; (3) approaches for flood risk management include improving the planning of flood risk management, strengthening spatial plan and management with inclusion of flood risk information, improving the flood control structure system, and enhancing flood emergency preparedness, response, and recovery capabilities; and (4) improving policies and regulations, effective coordination mechanisms, and promoting participation of the whole social can enable the effective implementation of flood risk management. The following suggestions are further proposed: (1) strengthening flood risk assessment, determining the acceptable flood disaster risks, and improving the flood control standards system; (2) diversifying approaches and measures tailored to different conditions to reduce flood risks; and (3) enhancing the whole society's awareness of flood risks and promoting their participation in flood risk management.
Over the past four decades, the rapid urbanization process in China, coupled with the impact of global climate change, has significantly affected the water balance in urban areas and their adjacent regions. This has led to prominent urban water issues such as floods, water scarcity, and water pollution, posing severe threats to the healthy development of cities. To address this, this study elaborates on the comprehensive effects of urbanization on water balance from six aspects: precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, groundwater, water quality, and water supply-demand balance. It analyzes the risks and challenges faced by urban water security in China under a changing environment and proposes basic principles, main ideas, and key strategies for achieving a healthy urban water balance and enhancing urban water security resilience. The study argues that to promote China's new urbanization, we should adhere to the principle of developing cities based on water availability and planning development according to water resources, proactively assess urban water security risks and their evolutionary trends, and strengthen proactive risk prevention. Additionally, it is necessary to actively optimize urban development and utilization patterns to promote smart urban growth, and strengthen coordinated governance of urban and watershed water issues to enhance the carrying capacity of urban water systems. Efforts should also be made to significantly improve urban emergency management capabilities to effectively respond to the impact of extreme meteorological and hydrological events, and actively promote the socialized management of urban water security risks to enhance adaptability and resilience. Finally, it is crucial to accelerate the resolution of key scientific and technological challenges in the field of urban water security.
The interactions between vegetation and water balance elements play a crucial role in enhancing the compatibility of water resources and forest-grassland conservation, thereby promoting high-quality development. This study employs key indicators, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), precipitation, actual evapotranspiration, and water yield, spanning the years 1982 to 2019, with a 1 km × 1 km grid as the fundamental analytical unit. It examines the spatiotemporal evolution patterns and interrelationships between vegetation and water balance elements across various spatial scales, such as climatic zones, vegetation zones, tertiary watersheds, and primary watersheds. It identifies regions and watersheds with pronounced conflicts between vegetation increase and water yield reduction, and reveals the spatial interactions between vegetation and water yield. Based on these findings, the study outlines the key challenges and recommendations for scientifically restoring and conserving forests and grasslands under the principle of "coordinated water and vegetation management". While national averages for precipitation, actual evapotranspiration, and water yield exhibit no significant trends, notable spatial patterns emerge at specific scales. Significant conflicts between vegetation increase and water yield reduction are observed in regions such as the warm temperate semi-humid zone, warm temperate deciduous broadleaf forest zone, temperate desert zone, and temperate grassland zone, as well as in major watersheds such as the Huaihe, Haihe, Liaohe, and Yellow Rivers, and in 35.7% of tertiary watersheds. Additionally, the main implementation areas of major ecological projects like the Three-North Shelterbelt Program and the Grain for Green Program (e.g., Northwest Rivers and the Yellow River basin) overlap significantly with the identified conflict-prone areas, raising concerns about the ecological water needs of vegetation in these areas. The study recommends enhancing decision-making scientificity, accounting for natural runoff reduction risks in target setting, and strengthening ecological water supply assurance for major projects, thereby providing valuable insights for the future scientific conservation of forests and grasslands.
Under the influence of global climate change, hydrological drought events in the Yangtze River have occurred frequently with an increasing intensity, seriously threatening food security and economic development. This study uses the monthly water balance model developed by the Research Center for Climate Change (i.e., the RCCC-WBM model) to analyze the historical evolution and future trends of hydrological features in four hydrological stations (Zhimenda, Zhutuo, Cuntan, and Yichang) in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the basins above. Meanwhile, hydrological drought events and their characteristics are identified based on the Standardized Runoff Index (SRI). The results show that: (1) From 1961 to 2020, the runoffs of Zhutuo, Cuntan, and Yichang hydrological stations, along with the SRI of the main stream area in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the sub-basins of the Minjiang, Tuojiang, Jialing, and Wujiang River, exhibited a decreasing trend, indicating a slight drying trend, while the runoff of the Zhimenda hydrological station and the SRI of the Jinsha River basin above it showed an increasing trend, suggesting no drought tendency. (2) From 2021 to 2090, the SRI of each hydrological station and its upstream basins all showed an increasing trend, indicating that the upper reaches of the Yangtze River have no drought tendency in the future; this may be closely related to the significant increase in projected precipitation and runoff. The frequency, occurrence rate, duration, and intensity of hydrological droughts will be stronger in the near term and weaker in the long term. Given the increasingly prominent extreme hydrological droughts in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, drought prevention and disaster reduction becomes urgent. It is recommended to improve the drought combating mechanism and system, strengthen infrastructure construction and emergency management capabilities, promote the digital technology to build a smart drought-prevention and disaster-reduction system, and highlight technological innovation to strengthen the scientific and technological support for drought prevention and mitigation.
Southwestern China is prone to drought hazards due to rainfall patterns shift, leading to water scarcity for engineering purposes, crop devastation, and ecosystem destruction. The effective management of rainwater resources is crucial for addressing these issues and mitigate agricultural effects induced by drought, which is vital for ensuring national food security. This study reviews the water resource characteristics and agricultural drought patterns across Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, and Chongqing in Southwestern China, and examines the fundamental characteristics, specific technical approaches, and primary measures of an efficient rainwater regulation and control system in this region. Results of the study indicates that the spatiotemporal distribution of water resources is uneven in Southwestern China and the reliability of agricultural water supply urgently needs further improvement. This is due to a lack of integration among natural water systems, artificial water networks, and rainwater harvesting projects on slopes, which hinders the efficient allocation of water resources across different periods and regions. To address these challenges, it is recommended to (1) enhance the construction of large and medium-sized reservoirs and implement "five types of small water conservancy" projects, (2) develop surface runoff control technologies for different regions and environments, (3) promote ecological and clean small-watersheds management, (4) expand the adoption of water-saving irrigation technologies in agriculture, (5) establish models for utilizing rainwater resources, (6) improve sustainable mechanisms for infrastructure construction, management, and operation, and (7) provide technological support for small water conservancy projects in rural areas. These efforts will provide critical technical support to alleviate agricultural drought impacts, increase agricultural water supply, optimize water distribution, and maintain food security in Southwestern China.
Agriculture is an important industry in the Yangtze River Delta. Agricultural non-point source pollution has brought severe challenges to water security, food security, and ecological safety in the Yangtze River Delta; therefore, it is urgent to synergistically manage agricultural non-point source pollution through co-governance of water resource protection, water pollution control, and aquatic ecosystem restoration, thereby safeguarding the high-quality and integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. This study systematically analyzes the challenges faced in the management of agricultural non-point source pollution in the region: large agricultural water consumption and low recycling rate; complex composition of agricultural non-point source pollution and variable production and transportation process; mutual interaction of regional planting and breeding with superimposed pollution emissions; lack of coordination between water quality improvement, water quantity, and aquatic ecosystem; unclear responsibility of non-point source pollution governance entities; and difficulties in long-term operation and maintenance of engineering projects. The study proposes the following suggestions for the system construction aimed at synergistic governance of agricultural non-point source pollution in the Yangtze River Delta: (1) constructing a regional circular wetland system for farmland to facilitate the recycling of water, fertilizer, and pesticides; (2) leveraging irrigation and drainage systems to realize stepwise interception and purification of farmland pollutants; (3) coordinating the integrated use of water and fertilizer for planting and breeding to achieve near-zero emission of non-point source pollutants; (4) integrating the governance of water resource protection, water pollution control, and aquatic ecosystem restoration to establish technical standards and management paradigms; and (5) establishing a platform for co-governance to enhance the comprehensive control system for water resources, environment, and ecology in the Yangtze River Delta.
Promoting green construction is an effective way for the construction industry to implement the national green development requirements, relieve the pressure on resources and environment, and achieve green and low-carbon transformation. It has been nearly 20 years since the concept of green construction was proposed and applied in China; remarkable progress has been made while distinct problems exist. Based on extensive investigation and research while considering the green development situation in the construction industry, this study expounds on the concept, implications, and development values of green construction, summarizes the development history and representative progress, and analyzes the major problems regarding green construction in China. The development of green construction should implement the concept of people-oriented development, taking builders, users, and related persons as the foremost in the construction process. Focus should be placed on the following leading directions: integration of the entire construction process, efficient utilization of resources, waste and carbon emission reduction, lean engineering management, intelligent construction process, and professional engineering operations. Breakthroughs should be achieved for key technologies regarding green construction, including lean construction, prefabricated construction, green low-carbon building materials and equipment, construction machinery automation, and working robots. The study suggests that the construction industry should promote the reforms of project management systems and mechanisms for green construction, strengthen the research and demonstration of green construction technologies, formulate mandatory standards for promoting green construction, and boost green construction education, thereby supporting the green and high-quality development of the construction industry.
The resource recycling of organic solid wastes in urban and rural areas is crucial for the development of waste-free cities and a circular economy. The carbon peaking and carbon neutralization goals proposed by China also impose new and higher requirements for the resource recycling of these multi-source organic solid wastes in urban and rural areas. This study summarizes the basic progress of the resource recycling of multi-source organic solid wastes in urban and rural areas in China from the perspectives of household wastes, sewage sludge, and agricultural wastes, and identifies the prominent problems in overall planning and top-level design, collaborative management and cost mechanism, as well as technological innovation and transformation. Moreover, it proposes three key technical paths for the resource recycling, including multi-source collaborative recycling centered on biological treatment, multi-source collaborative safe disposal centered on thermochemical treatment, and intensive/park-based collaborative disposal of multi-source organic wastes. Furthermore, the following suggestions are proposed: forming the medium- and long-term overall planning and top-level design for pollution and carbon reduction, strengthening interdisciplinary integration and industry‒university‒research‒application collaboration, and improving the institutional system by establishing a cross-departmental collaborative management system and a market-based pricing mechanism to promote the innovative application of key core technologies and industrial upgrading.
Waste recycling is an important component of China's sustainable development and one of the strategic tasks of the national development plan. This study first sorts out the major achievements and development trends of waste recycling in China, and identifies the existing problems, such as unexploited potential in recycling and carbon reduction, insufficient technological innovation and scientific research, lack of sustainable business models, non-standard standards certification system, and insufficient coordination of existing laws, regulations, and standards system. On this basis, the study focuses on four key areas of waste recycling: new-energy solid waste, waste polymer materials, cross-industry coordination of industrial wastes, urban multi-source waste coupling. From the three perspectives of establishing a green production and design system at the source, optimizing the recycling process network, and promoting waste product reuse and service innovation, the construction paths and major tasks of the waste recycling system in each important field are proposed. To promote the high-quality construction of China's waste recycling system, this study also proposes development suggestions from aspects of synergistic enhancement of recycling and carbon reduction, development and industrialization of major technologies, quality upgrading and large-scale application of recycled products, intelligent and refined management of waste recycling, and safeguarding of key elements.
The chemical and petrochemical industry is one of the pillar industries of the national economy. However, the energy and resource consumption, "three wastes" (i.e., waste gas, waste water, and industrial residue), and carbon emissions of the industry are large. Therefore, it is inevitable to accelerate the green and low-carbon transformation of the industry, thus to achieve high-quality industrial development and strengthen the petrochemical sector. This study analyzes the basic situation of the green and low-carbon transformation of the chemical and petrochemical industry from the perspectives of international consensus, domestic requirements, raw material changes, market constraints, technological evolution, and intelligent transformation. It also sorts out the development status of China's chemical and petrochemical industry from the aspects of industrial scale, industrial structure, resource utilization, pollutant emission, carbon emission, and industrial science and technology, and further reviews the prominent problems that restrict the green and low-carbon transformation of the industry. Moreover, the study proposes the key tasks for the green and low-carbon transformation of the industry, including innovation in green and low-carbon technologies; green transformation of the industrial structure; innovation in environment-friendly products; carbon peaking in key areas; green and low-carbon transformation for energy use; green, low-carbon, and clean production; digital and intelligent transformation; and green production demonstration; this aims to achieve a high-end industrial structure, low-carbon energy consumption, cyclic utilization of resources, clean production processes, green supply of products, and digital production mode. To this end, it is suggested that we should actively and steadily promote the carbon peaking and carbon neutralization goals, achieve carbon peaks in subdivided fields by stages, steadily promote the green transformation of the energy sector, and promote green and low-carbon transformation with active policies, thereby ensuring the green and low-carbon transformation of China's chemical and petrochemical industry.
The coastal blue-carbon ecosystems have become the most promising ecological pathways to increasing carbon sinks and achieving carbon neutrality. In recent years, significant achievements have been obtained in ecological environment management and ecosystem protection and restoration in China. However, the protection and restoration model of coastal blue-carbon ecosystems and the value transformation and realization of blue-carbon resources still need to be optimized. This study summarizes and analyzes the current distribution and changes of mangroves, salt marshes, and seagrass beds in China. Subsequently, it elaborates on the problems regarding the understanding of coastal blue-carbon ecosystems, scientific and systematic nature of blue-carbon ecosystem protection and restoration, and management system and value realization of blue-carbon resources, from the aspects of coastal blue-carbon resources, ecosystem protection and restoration, blue-carbon resource values, and blue-carbon trading market. Furthermore, we propose to improve the understanding of coastal blue-carbon ecosystems, strengthen green and sustainable protection and restoration models, and develop refined management and trading systems for blue-carbon resources. This study is expected to provide theoretical guidance and decision-making support for the conservation and restoration of coastal blue-carbon ecosystems in China.
The paddy ecosystem, as a unique soil ecosystem formed by artificial cultivation, holds great potentials for carbon sequestration, which is crucial for realizing the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality ("dual carbon") goals in the agricultural sector of China. This study constructs 5995 simulation units using the rice planting area information acquired through remote sensing in China in 2021. Subsequently, it uses a denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) model to simulate the spatial distribution of surface soil organic carbon (SOC) density in fields in China from 2021 to 2040, and predicts the future trend of the SOC. Results of the study indicate that the paddy soil in China exhibits a carbon sink under the current planting conditions. The average carbon storage of the surface paddy soil (0~20 cm) in China was 4.10 Pg C in 2021 and will be 4.32 Pg C in 2030 and 4.49 Pg C in 2040; the carbon storage will increase year by year. The carbon sequestration potential of paddy soil in China will be 22 Tg C‧a-1 during 2021—2030 and 17 Tg C‧a-1 during 2030—2040; the average annual growth rate will slow down, and the carbon sequestration potential of soil will gradually reach saturation. In the next two decades, the SOC density of paddy fields in most regions of China will change, and the increased areas will be significantly greater than the decreased areas, with a maximum growth rate of 9.2% and a maximum decrease rate of 8.0%. Scenario simulations indicate that straw returning and fertilizer application could significantly increase the carbon storage in paddy soils. These findings hold scientific significance and practical values in fully utilizing the carbon sink function of paddy soils, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and advancing the "dual carbon" goals in the agricultural sector.
This Issue
Dec 2024, Volume 26 Issue 6