Changsha county in Hunan province is working hard on comprehensive ecological improvement on road to establishing a well-off society surrounded by a better living environment.

During the 14th China Economic Forum held in Beijing last December, Changsha county attracted wide-ranging attention from both home and abroad for attempting to build the first “zero-carbon county” in China. On the basis of the carbon discharge amount in 2013, it aims to achieve zero growth in total carbon emission by 2025.

The county used to be well-known for its swine industry nationwide. However, the pollution discharge by the industry brought in some ecological damage. Thanks to a five-year pollution treatment and ecological reconstruction program since 2008, the county has set out a scientifically-planned green development path for its breeding industry.

The scenery of Shuangchong village, Ansha town, Changsha county [Photo by Zeng Shiyi/csxrmt.com]

Changsha county also takes the lead in Hunan province in terms of waste water treatment. It has launched waste water treatment facilities in each town and village. For example, the wastewater treatment plant in Huanghua town disposes about 8,000 tons of sewage every day.

As the first national ecological county in Hunan province, Changsha county was also a leader in launching the ecological compensation policy in 2010, establishing an ecological compensation mechanism to speed up converting polluting farmlands into forest and grassland.

It has set up rural environmental protection cooperatives across the county, and implemented an effective four-level refuse disposal management, covering households, villages, towns, and the county.