Nansha earns 'Global Nature City' title as eco indicators lead Guangzhou

Guangzhou's Nansha district has been awarded the international title of "Global Nature City" after posting the city's best environmental indicators, including a record-low annual PM2.5 concentration of 19 micrograms per cubic meter in 2025.

The announcement came during a briefing held by the Guangzhou municipal government on March 11 regarding efforts to improve ecological quality and advance the construction of a "Beautiful Guangzhou".

According to Jiang Zhigang, a senior official with the Nansha district government, the district maintained top environmental performance across multiple indicators in 2025. The compliance rate of centralized drinking water sources and the proportion of high-quality river monitoring sections both remained at 100 percent. Fifteen rivers and lakes in Nansha were also recognized as outstanding municipal examples of "Beautiful Rivers and Lakes", the highest number among all districts.

Officials attributed the progress to a systematic pollution-control strategy that combined emission reductions, stricter source management, and more efficient governance.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021–25), Nansha implemented targeted emissions cuts in key industries, including upgrades to volatile organic compound storage tanks and ultra-low-emission transformations in coal power, steel, and boiler facilities, reducing VOC emissions by about 2,925 metric tons.

The district also strengthened monitoring of vehicle emissions and expanded inspections of sewage outlets discharging into rivers and the sea, while upgrading drainage networks to address sewage overflows and urban flooding.

Nansha plans to reduce PM2.5 levels further, safeguard national water-quality monitoring sections, and expand pilot programs that integrate pollution reduction with carbon-cutting initiatives.