Environmental Protection Law of the People's Republic of China
(Adopted at the 11th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Seventh National People's Congress on December 26, 1989 and revised at the 8th Meeting of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress on April 24, 2014) Article 1 of Chapter I General Provisions is formulated for the purpose of protecting and improving the environment, preventing and controlling pollution and other public hazards, safeguarding public health, promoting ecological civilization, and promoting sustainable economic and social development. Article 2 The term "environment" as used in this Law refers to the totality of various natural and artificially transformed natural factors that affect human survival and development, including the atmosphere, water, oceans, land, mineral deposits, forests, grasslands and wetlands