Rodent Scourge in China

The recent rodent outbreak in Central China's Hunan Province has drawn the attention of local and Western media. Is this incident simply an opportunistic event or tips of an iceberg of the systemic environmental problem deeply rooted in China? The recent environmental incidents are not purely natural disasters. Human activities are to blame in fact. People in the Southern China are notorious for their appetite for wild animals. Natural enemies of rodents like weasels, owls and snakes are the on the list of their menu. Deforestation and the plantation of introduced plant species severely reduce the habitats of these animals. Without the check and balance, rodents populate at rocket speed.

China’s GDP will soon surpass Germany and become the third economic engine of the world. We are enthralled by the glitter of economic growth in China, which easily diverts our attention away from the environmental problems facing China today. We should not forget that the socio-economic development in China is not linear in nature. Behind the economic growth are countless variables and risks. Environmental problem is one of the major risks that may stumble the economic growth and social stability.

If the rodent scourge deteriorated into pandemic of lethal infectious diseases, social unrest would be the dire consequence. If algal bloom in freshwater system endangered the drinking water supply, conflicts among people would be unavoidable. These environmental incidents could shake the corner stones of our social stability. No responsible government dare to bear the social cost associated with these problems.

We hope in the next five-year strategic plan, the mainland government will follow closely the concept of sustainable development and stop the sole pursuit of GDP growth without paying attention to deteriorating environmental problems.