Contemporary China faces serious environmental problems which have been widely documented in the western media, usually accompanied by doom-laden assessments and predictions for the future. This is the first book to locate China's environmental problems in the context of her rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and transition to a market-oriented economy. Drawing on a wide range of Chinese and western sources, the book offers in-depth analysis of the complete range of environmental problems facing China today, from the historical, political, economic and cultural root causes, through the successful and unsuccessful efforts which have been made to find solutions, to possible future scenarios and strategies. Rejecting the blanket pessimism of other studies of the Chinese environment, this book offers a constructive perspective on a subject frequently dealt with in overwhelmingly negative terms.

1. China's Environmental Crisis: An Overview Part I. Roots of Crisis 2. Ancient Legacies 3. Politics in Command 4. Market Forces Unleashed 5. Demographic and Consumerist Pressures Part II. Contemporary Issues, Policies and Debates 6. The Sanxia Dam 7. Moving the Waters 8. Ecological Tramplings 9. Environmental Policies Part III. Futures 10. Whither China?: Alternative Environmental Futures