A group of 9 experts from Guangdong Environmental Protection Bureau led by Zhu Guangyao, Deputy Director of State Environmental Protection Administration arrived in Zhongshan yesterday, aiming to examine and certify the work of establishing a National Ecological Demonstration Zone in Zhongshan. Mayor Li Qihong made a report to the expert panel.

Since 2004, Zhongshan has formulated the Measures for Establishing National Ecological Demonstration Zone and has invested 10 billion yuan in promoting 12 ecological protection projects, including inland river realignment, sewage treatment, refuse treatment, waste disposal, forestation, ecological protection, wetland restoration, mine recovery, ecological agriculture, food inspection, contamination monitoring, and beatifying towns. According to the self-assessment, Zhongshan has already met 5 basic conditions and 19 indexes.

The expert panel will conduct field surveys and examine some demonstration projects in the following days, such as Difeng Hill Refuse Treatment Base, Torch Sewage Treatment Factory, Yakou mangrove forest and Lingnan Riverside Households, and then give feedbacks to future improvement. Zhongshan will be the only prefecture-level national ecological demonstration zone (city) if approved.