China has completed work on the last of 2,132 “quiet communities” in a bid to tackle noise pollution and reduce the stress of city living, Xinhua reports.
The Ministry of Ecology and Environment said the aim was to create areas with reduced noise levels to help residents get a better night’s sleep.
The ministry has installed 4,005 monitors in 338 cities to check that noise rules are being followed.
A law approved in December 2021 requires the setting up of a national network of “acoustic environmental quality monitoring stations”. These are required to “release information on acoustic environment quality to the public on a regular basis”.
The law also requires construction companies to assess their projects for “noise pollution prevention and control, and compile and make public a corresponding acceptance report”. It adds: “The construction project shall not be put into operation or use if such facilities have not been checked or failed to be accepted.”
Last year, 11 provinces designated a total area of over 860 square kilometres as “noise-sensitive building zones”.
In addition, around 177,000 factories were brought under a noise-emissions permit system. This is expected to achieve nationwide coverage over the course of this year
According to Xinhua, urban noise levels have improved over the past five years, with compliance rates for daytime and nighttime standards trending upward in designated functional zones, according to the ministry.
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