China’s air and water quality improved

By Alimat Aliyeva

China continued to record improvements in air and water quality during the first seven months of 2026 as the government stepped up efforts to reduce pollution and protect the country’s water resources, AzerNEWS reports.

According to a statement from China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment, the country’s average concentration of PM2.5 — fine particles considered one of the key indicators of air pollution — fell by 1.8 micrograms per cubic meter compared with the same period in 2025. This represents a decline of 6.2 percent.

At the same time, the share of days with good air quality increased by 3.9 percentage points year on year, according to figures cited by China Daily.

Water quality also showed positive trends. During the January–July period, 86.5 percent of monitored surface-water sites were rated Class I–III, which corresponds to relatively good water quality. The figure was 2.4 percentage points higher than during the same period last year.

China uses a five-level system to classify surface-water quality, with Class I representing the highest standard and Class V the lowest.

Environmental improvements have become a major focus of China’s development policy in recent years. The country has invested heavily in renewable energy, electric vehicles and pollution-control technologies, while also tightening environmental standards for industry.

One interesting aspect is the growing link between China’s environmental policy and its energy transition. China is currently the world’s largest producer and installer of solar and wind power, meaning that efforts to reduce air pollution are increasingly taking place alongside a rapid expansion of clean-energy infrastructure.

Despite the progress, environmental challenges remain significant, particularly in densely populated and heavily industrialized regions. Authorities therefore continue to face the task of balancing rapid economic development with long-term improvements in air, water and overall environmental quality.