The State Council General Office published a plan on Aug 12 on building a network to monitor the ecological environment, with the aim of supporting the building of an ecological civilization and to form a new ecological environment monitoring pattern.

According to the plan:

- Duties and responsibilities of every department should be clarified, so as to promote cooperation and enhance the supervision of the monitoring process.

- Laws, regulations, standards and technical specifications of the sector should be improved. The monitoring network should be planned as a whole.

- Scientific research and comprehensive analysis of the monitoring should be enhanced based on the latest innovations in science and technology. New advanced technologies, facilities and systems, such as satellite remote sensing, should be fully utilized so that the monitoring process is more systematic and efficient.

- Monitored data should be published online and also shared nationwide via other channels. Big data analysis should be introduced to improve the supervision of the monitoring.

- By 2020, a monitoring network covering China’s environmental quality, major pollution sources and ecological condition will be built nationwide, forecasting and security will be improved - and the relevant authorities will coordinate to monitor the land, seas and skies.