Public engagements with smog in urban China: Knowledge, trust, and action

Abstract Air pollution in China, increasingly known in policy circles and in popular discourse as “smog” ( wumai ), has aroused broad concern among citizens and in the international community. Although poor air quality has been a feature of urban life for decades in China, public engagement with the issue is a more recent phenomenon. In this article, we examine public knowledge and perceptions of smog, public trust in various sources of information about smog, and various actions, both individual and institutional, that people believe can be effective in managing and mitigating smog. We draw upon qualitative interviews and quantitative survey data collected in Tangshan, a heavily industrialized city in northern China. Our findings illustrate that smog, with its effects on human health and quality of life, is perceived as a serious concern that people encounter every day. Various information sources on the severity of air pollution, including online media content and mobile apps, are increasingly accessed by the public. Our findings suggest that trust in these information sources is shaped by a variety of demographic factors, especially educational attainment. We also find a sense of ambivalence among study participants about which specific individual and institutional measures can and should be taken to manage and mitigate the effects of smog. We discuss these findings in light of recent research on the role of public awareness and engagement in environmental protection campaigns.