China can curb smog in less than 30 years: official  

科技部：國外治霾需要30年 我國不需這么長時間

科技部向媒體通報霧霾治理科技工作情況時表示，十年來的研究結果表明，京津冀霧霾天氣是內外因疊加的結果。科技部社會發展司司長馬燕合稱，國外經驗表明霧霾治理需要30年左右的時間，我國不需要這么長的時間。 [查看全文]

(ECNS) -- An official at the Ministry of Science and Technology has said that China will not need 30 years to curb smog as some foreign countries have done, the Beijing Times reported on Tuesday.[Special coverage]

Ma Yanhe, director of the ministry's department of social development, made the remarks at a press briefing Monday.

Ma cited a study released by the Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (ISTIC) on how other megacities in the world like London, Paris and Los Angeles battled smog during their industrial development.

"These countries have managed to control smog, and their stories tell us that smog can be curbed," he said.

However, "improved science and technology and a better environment management scheme can help China accelerate the smog elimination process," Ma added.

But the task of smog elimination can't be done at one go in China, he said. The mission will require all stakeholders to join hands in controlling pollution sources, strengthening green monitoring, and upgrading industrial structures.

The ISTIC study shows that severe smog shrouding the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region has partly been caused by increased anthropogenic discharges, and that static weather and weak wind activity have also contributed.