Blue skies and clear water in Nantong. [Photo provided by Xu Congjun to en.nantong.gov.cn]

The natural environment in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, has continued to improve while maintaining steady economic growth in 2024, according to the local municipal bureau of ecology and environment.

Nantong has demonstrated excellent air quality management, securing a leading position in the province over the past several years. Last year, the proportion of excellent air quality days in the city was 86.1 percent, ranking second in the province and increasing by 2.5 percentage points year-on-year. The annual average concentration of PM2.5 was measured at 25 micrograms per cubic meter, showing a 7.4 percent improvement compared to the previous year, ranking first in the province. The average concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, inhalable particulate matter, and ozone were 24, 42, and 156 μg/m3, respectively.

Regarding water quality, all 16 national assessment sections in Nantong met the standards, as did 55 provincial assessment sections. The water quality of eight centralized drinking water sources met the Class III surface water standards. The proportion of nearshore areas with excellent (Class I and II) water quality was 88.3 percent, exceeding the provincial target by 24.8 percentage points.

The overall quality of the city's sound environment was characterized as excellent, with the daytime sound environment in the urban area remaining stable. The quality of the soil environment has also shown consistent stability. In comparison to the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), there has been a decrease in the comprehensive pollution index, indicating a tangible improvement in soil environment quality.