City only recorded half year of ‘good’ air quality in 2022
Last year saw only around half of the year logging good air quality, the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) disclosed yesterday.
Data from the Environmental Condition Report 2022 shows that only one out of six gauges, which is a roadside gauge, recorded good quality for 74% of days.
The DSPA also said some gauges saw a maximum of 33 days of poor air quality last year. The ordinary gauges in Taipa and in Coloane, as well as the roadside gauge in Ka-Ho recorded extremely poor air quality for one to three days.
June last year had better air quality and September worse, the report noted.
On the matter of water, last year Macau saw 8% less rainfall year-over-year. The salinity level of water dispatched from the Ilha Verde Water Plant remained at a good condition, and Escherichia coli bacteria remained at a legally acceptable level as well.
Three out of six barometers across the city recorded good data on average last year, with two of the remaining three logging a fair level and the remaining gauge a bad level.
Last year, the government banned the import of disposable non-biodegradable dining utensils. The DSPA also boasted the addition of recyclable collection points and machines.
A total of 2,000 electric light vehicle and 500 electric motorcycle chargers have been installed as of the end of last year.
In 2022, Macau had about the same amount of green areas managed by the government year-over-year, according to the report.
Data from the report, however, only concerns green areas under the management of the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM).
The number of trees on sidewalks on the Macau Peninsula in Taipa increased by 4.7%. The types of trees and bushes recorded in Macau saw no change.
IAM’s hillside plantation restoration initiative has seen 3,100 saplings planted, with 4,000 mangroves planted on a west coast of Taipa.
The maximum number of black-faced spoonbills recorded at one time in the ecological reserves in Cotai has almost halved: from 59 in 2021 to 34 in 2022.
The numbers of birds and insects increased slightly last year, while those of amphibians, mammals, fish and reptiles remained unchanged.
The English version of the report will be available soon on its website, the DSPA pledged.
