Government set to rate regional land, resource sustainability

For the first time, China will include "carrying capacity" - an environmental standard measuring land and resource use - as a major part of how it assesses the success of regional development, a move that underscores the country's resolution to balance economic growth and environmental quality, said an expert.

The government announced recently that it would roll out a new pollution alert system for regions ranging from the cleanest "green non-alert zones" to the most severe "red zones", where the environment and natural resources are severely strained.

"Carrying capacity" refers to the level of land or resource use, both by humans and animals, that can be sustained over the long term by the natural regenerative power of the environment.