Poverty Eradication and Living Environment Improvement in Zhulin

Zhulin is a town with a population of 10,000 inhabitants located in the mountainous region of Henan province. Starting in 1985, the town embarked on a programme to eliminate poverty through economic development and the improvement of the living environment. Since the early 1990s, Zhulin has embarked upon a process to bring about more sustainable forms of social, economic and environmental development. The main achievements to date include the increase of the town's social output value from just under US$ 40,000 in 1985 to over US$ 360 million in 2000, with a per capita increase of US$ 36,000 in 2000 alone. The annual disposable personal income has reached US$ 1330 with per capita savings of US$ 2540. The town was able to pay the State US$ 10.5 million in taxes and other revenues in 2000, representing a radical departure from the situation prior to 1985 when the municipal budget was continuously in deficit and the village depended on government relief. This economic turn around has enabled Zhulin to bring about major improvements in infrastructure including capital investments of US$ 26 million in all weather roads totaling 23 km; the provision of public toilets; a waste collection and disposal facility with 100 percent coverage; and street lighting all of which were totally absent in 1985. New housing construction totaling 360,000 square meters has increased per capita living space to a very comfortable 36 square meters, with 90 percent of the population being re-housed in new neighborhoods and housing estates. At the same time, the town has achieved 100 percent coverage in piped water supply, electricity, telephone and cable television. Household ownership of computers has reached 83 percent. Urban greening provides 19m2 of green space per capita within the settlement itself as well as 200m2 per capita reforestation in the surrounding hills. 92 percent of the women in Zhulin aged over 40 are actively engaged in social and economic production. These improvements were recognized in 2001 when Zhulin town won the first "China Human Settlements and Environment Awar