The Long March
How one Chinese city is reversing pollution.
Chengdu's irrigation systems spurred Chinese agriculture and enabled the population to expand. But the system was neglected and abused during the developments of the 1970s. Today, a campaign by Chengdu schoolchildren has succeeded in reversing the damage, turning what had become an urban nightmare into a model of modern day planning.
More people are on the move in China than ever before in human history. Twelve million people are leaving the countryside for the cities every year, and, within a generation, there will be more people living in the towns and cities than in the countryside. With China already home to a fifth of the world's population, the Chinese government is building 400 new cities over the next 20 years, each housing over half a million residents. New towns and settlements are springing up from nowhere. Others are witnessing an explosion in their populations, stretching their capacity to deliver essential services to breaking point.
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