The most complained-about environmental problem in 2023 was actually this!

Recently, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with 13 other departments and units including the Central Commission for Guiding Cultural and Ethical Progress, released the "China Noise Pollution Prevention and Control Report (2024)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Report"). This report has been published continuously since 2011, and this year marks its 13th edition.

What are the new changes in this year's report compared to previous years? What are the reasons for the increasing number of noise pollution complaints in my country year by year? How is the Ministry of Ecology and Environment working to solve the noise problems "at the doorstep" of ordinary people?

The report has six new changes.

Compared with previous years, the new changes in the report are reflected in six aspects.

In terms of highlighting key issues, the report adds an analysis of the current noise pollution situation in its explanatory notes and adds a separate section on the analysis of the causes of noise pollution, summarizing the root causes of noise pollution from the perspectives of economic development, land use, government management, and public civility.

In terms of overall structure, the report has been simplified in terms of hierarchy and its chapters have been readjusted. The prevention and control of noise pollution from industry, construction, transportation and social life has been elevated to a separate chapter, making the hierarchy clearer and more prominent, and showcasing the treatment of the four types of noise sources.

In terms of readability, the number of popular science columns has increased from 6 to 11, with related photos added to aid reading. The number of illustrations has increased from 17 to 65, and the number of tables has increased from 6 to 13, which more intuitively demonstrates the effectiveness of noise pollution prevention and control.

Regarding key tasks, a new column titled "Key Tasks for Noise Pollution Prevention and Control in 2024" has been added to publicize the key tasks for noise pollution prevention and control in 2024 to relevant management departments and the general public, clarify the work objectives, raise public awareness, and invite public supervision.

In terms of content length, due to the extensive work carried out by various regions on noise pollution prevention and control, and the abundance of materials on noise pollution prevention and control, the report has increased in length from 20,000 words last year to nearly 30,000 words this year.

Regarding the compiling units, the total number of units jointly publishing the report remains unchanged at 14, but the specific units have changed. The State Taxation Administration has been added, and the Ministry of Science and Technology no longer participates in the publication.

The overall sound environment quality in cities across the country remains stable.

The report shows that in 2023, the 12345 government service hotline in prefecture-level and above cities across the country, as well as departments such as ecology and environment, public security, and housing and urban-rural development, received a total of about 5.706 million noise complaints and reports, an increase of 1.203 million cases compared with the previous year.

In terms of complaint types, noise complaints from social life were the most numerous, accounting for 68.4%, an increase of 0.9 percentage points year-on-year; construction noise was the second most frequent, accounting for 24.1%, a decrease of 1.0 percentage point year-on-year; transportation noise accounted for 4.3%, and industrial noise accounted for 3.2%, basically unchanged year-on-year.

The number of noise complaints is closely related to population density. The report points out that the eight megacities of Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Tianjin, and Wuhan received a total of approximately 1.663 million noise complaints, accounting for about 30% of the total number of noise complaints in prefecture-level and above cities nationwide.

According to the National Ecological and Environmental Complaint and Reporting Management Platform (WeChat and online channels), more than 255,000 complaints and reports were received in 2023, an increase of approximately 1,000 compared to the previous year. Noise pollution accounted for 61.3% of all ecological and environmental pollution complaints.

The report points out three main reasons for the increasing number of noise complaints: First, rapid urban development has led to increased population density, a rise in motor vehicle ownership, and frequent industrial, commercial, and construction activities. Furthermore, the mixing of residential, commercial, and industrial functions, along with the proximity of residences to major traffic arteries, has exacerbated the noise pollution problem. Second, the division of responsibilities among departments in some local governments regarding noise pollution prevention and control is unclear, resulting in management gaps and poor coordination. Third, public awareness campaigns on noise pollution prevention and control are insufficient, and the public's understanding of the importance of quiet environments needs to be strengthened.

Although the number of local noise complaints increased, the overall sound environment quality in cities across the country remained stable. The report indicates that in 2023, the daytime compliance rate for sound environment functional zones nationwide was 96.1%, and the nighttime compliance rate was 87.0%. Compared with 2022, the daytime and nighttime compliance rates increased by 0.1 and 0.4 percentage points, respectively.

Solving the noise problem "at the doorstep" of ordinary people

Preventing and controlling noise pollution is not only a trivial matter concerning daily life, but also a major issue concerning the vital interests of the people. In response, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has made great efforts to solve the noise problems "at the doorstep" of ordinary people, protect their rights to a quiet environment, and enhance their sense of well-being regarding a peaceful environment.

Regarding the improvement of the regulatory system, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, together with 15 other departments, issued the "14th Five-Year Plan Action Plan for Noise Pollution Prevention and Control," which systematically outlined the main goals, tasks, and measures for noise pollution prevention and control during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. This plan also accelerated the process of local governments clarifying the division of management responsibilities for four types of noise: industrial, construction, transportation, and social noise. Currently, approximately one-third of prefecture-level and above cities have completed this division. In 2023, for the first time, the sound environment functional zoning was fully covered in all 338 prefecture-level and above cities (excluding Sansha City) and 1,822 county-level cities nationwide.

In terms of innovative management methods, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has promoted the automation of noise monitoring. In 2023, some municipalities, provincial capitals, and cities with independent planning status basically completed the verification of automatic monitoring points for sound environment quality in functional areas and the construction and networking of systems. It has also implemented industrial noise discharge permit management, gradually bringing the noise of 280,000 industrial enterprises under the discharge permit management system. Currently, approximately 120,000 enterprises have completed this process, and full coverage of industrial noise discharge permits will be achieved by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Furthermore, it has conducted key supervision of typical cases that have drawn strong public reaction. Currently, the national level has supervised 60 cases in 6 batches, involving 30 provinces and benefiting more than 30,000 people.

In exploring social co-governance, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment has organized pilot projects for creating quiet communities in cities such as Tianjin, Shanghai, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Kunming, Xiamen, and Jiaxing, promoting joint management and governance of noise issues by homeowners, property management companies, and businesses. To date, more than 1,700 quiet communities have been created nationwide. In conjunction with the education department, the Ministry has organized the "Green Exam Protection" campaign for many years, guiding various sectors of society to consciously reduce noise-generating behaviors during the middle school and college entrance examinations through various means such as issuing initiatives and open letters, benefiting more than 30 million examinees annually. The Ministry has also promoted "quiet carriages," setting up "quiet carriages" on 92 trains on lines such as Beijing-Shanghai, Beijing-Guangzhou, Beijing-Harbin, Chengdu-Chongqing, Shanghai-Kunming, and Guiyang-Nanning.

Next, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will urge local authorities to complete the division of departmental functions as soon as possible, continue to supervise typical noise complaint cases, and continuously promote the construction of quiet communities and the application of noise maps. At the same time, it will guide local authorities in the construction of automatic monitoring stations for acoustic environmental quality in functional zones, ensuring that all 3,800+ automatic monitoring stations in 338 prefecture-level and above cities nationwide are completed by the end of this year.

Source: China Environment News