A Shenzhen lesson
The apology from the deputy director of Shenzhen municipal bureau of water resources to the citizens of this Special Economic Zone (SEZ) last week is not only a self-criticism of the bureau's inefficiency in water pollution treatment but also a reflection of the lack of attention to the protection of water resources during the zone's development.
As the country's first SEZ, Shenzhen has been a model in both economic development and social progress for other cities. But its over-obsession with economic growth has not expanded this fishing village into a modern metropolis in three decades without paying a price.
The deteriorating environment and degradation of the ecological balance are the biggest price the SEZ has paid. Shift of work priority from economic growth to quality of development and environmental protection is now a must for the city's sustainable future.
