Guiyang Economic and Technological Development Zone (GETDZ) in the city of Guiyang is using big data for environmental protection, according to GETDZ officials.
They said it is performing scientific analysis -- as well as undertaking comprehensive management and the entire process of monitoring the atmosphere and water quality -- by using an environmental protection big data platform.
In recent years the GETDZ in Guiyang, the capital city of southwestern Guizhou province, has firmly adhered to both development and a healthy environment, and consistently promoted the goal of an ecological environment.
In 2016, with the development trend of big data, the GETDZ started the construction of environmental protection big data platform by buying third-party services.
Officials said that currently -- through the environmental protection big data platform -- the zone has realized the real-time monitoring of the Madi River and Chenliang River and can be aware of changes in water quality in real time.
In addition the big data platform also monitors air quality. Currently there eight cameras are operating in the zone, with four functioning as river monitoring stations and the other four helping atmospheric monitoring.
The cameras can rotate 360 degrees for seamless monitoring.
According to local officials, since the launch of environmental protection big data platform, there has been a marked improvement in the level and efficiency of ecological environment management in the whole zone.
In addition to routine monitoring and analysis of water and atmosphere, the platform can also accurately locate and track problems, leading to problems being handled in a timely manner.
Officials added that the platform also has mobile terminals, enabling a mobile phone to assign tasks to relevant departments and officials via a mobile app, speeding up the process of problem solving.
They said that with the help of the platform, the ambient air quality of the GETDZ has improved significantly, adding that its ambient air quality has increased from excellent levels of 73.7 percent in 2013 to an average of 94.9 percent in 2018.
In the first 10 months of this year, the excellent rate rating in the zone rose to an average of 97.6 percent, up 1.7 percentage points year-on-year.
At the same time, the effects of energy conservation and emissions reduction of the zone are obvious, officials said.
They said the solid waste output per unit industrial added value was reduced by 30 percent, the wastewater output per unit industrial added value was reduced by 84 percent, and the nitrogen oxide emission per unit industrial added value was reduced by 75 percent.
During the same period, the concentration of main pollutants showed a downward trend compared with the same period last year -- with concentrations of PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2 and CO significantly reduced.