Ecological problems on the urban development in the Taihu Lake region of southern Jiangsu

The Taihu Lake region in southern Jiangsu is one of the regions with flourishing economy and the highest level of urbanization due to favourable natural conditions and socio-economic foundation. However, there emerge a seriers of urban ecological problems on continuous stretch of cities and towns, a vague division of urban functions, ground subsidence, serious pollution of atmosphere and waters arising from dense population, irrational distribution of industry, backwardeness of municipal engineering facilities, and inexperienced scientific management of water resources. In order to improve the urban eco-environment in this lake region, we should work out an overall regional eco-environmental programme, perfect the urban economic set-up from the reqirements of urban material circulations and energy exchanges, and finally put into practice the urban functional regionalism, so that the Taihu Lake region in southern Jiangsu has not only a higher economic benefit, but also a beautiful and comfortable eco-environment.