China to embrace more water pollution control projects

The Chinese government is set to welcome an influx of foreign firms offering water pollution control solutions, it has been claimed.

US-based industry research organisation IBISWorld has suggested that the environmental technology industry in the Asian country will be worth $746.8 million (£469.7 million) by the end of this year. This would represent a rise of 15.4 per cent when compared with 2010.

Leaders at the research firm have stated that despite the apparent increase in water clean-up activity, controlling pollution in China is still a "difficult proposition".

It stated that local governments lack incentives to work together in order to tackle the problem, but the main stumbling block remains China's booming economy.

The introduction of laws aimed at punishing enterprises for polluting waterways has not had the desired effect, with legislation being labelled as "weak".

Cities such as Beijing are also blighted by air pollution and the capital was affected by a thick cloud of smog on October 31st.

Posted by Joseph Hutton