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Review of challenges and strategies for balanced urban-rural environmental protection in China

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Abstract

With the rise of environmentalism in China, great efforts have been devoted to environmental protection over the past several decades. Compared with urban environmental protection, rural environmental protection has not been attached enough importance in China due to the dual-track structure of socio-economic development. As a result, rural China is shouldering disproportionally heavy environmental burdens partly because of the differences and biases between urban and rural environmental protection seen in environmental policies, environmental rights and interests, environmental protection investment, and the environmental protection awareness of people. To eliminate the gap between rural and urban environmental protection, and achieve the goal of “balanced urban-rural environmental protection” (BUREP), government should consider map** out proper policies and strategies. In this paper we put forward an innovative strategy of BUREP against the background of China’s urban-rural environmental protection. First, we review the current status of rural environmental protection status and its challenges compared with urban environmental protection in China. Secondly, we analyzed the main driving factors and reasons deeply, and then we put forward the BUREP strategy base on the unequal status between urban and rural environment. Finally, we proposed the framework of BUREP. This study may serve as a scientific reference regarding decision-making in coordinating urban and rural environmental protection and in constructing the new countryside of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Bei**g, 100012, China

    Beidou **, **aoguang Li, Ying Zhao, Hongliang Liu, Xunfeng **a, Tianxue Yang, Lieyu Zhang & Xuan Jia

  2. School of Environment, Bei**g Normal University, Bei**g, 100875, China

    **aoguang Li

  3. Nan**g Institute of Environmental Sciences of State Environmental Protection Administration, Nan**g, 210042, China

    Jixi Gao

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  1. Beidou **
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  2. **aoguang Li
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  3. Jixi Gao
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  4. Ying Zhao
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  5. Hongliang Liu
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  6. Xunfeng **a
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  7. Tianxue Yang
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  8. Lieyu Zhang
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  9. Xuan Jia
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Correspondence to **aoguang Li.

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**, B., Li, X., Gao, J. et al. Review of challenges and strategies for balanced urban-rural environmental protection in China. Front. Environ. Sci. Eng. 9, 371–384 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-014-0744-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-014-0744-z

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