A leading science official urged people Monday to well protect environment as well as save energy for a sustained development of China.

Deng Nan, vice chairman of the China Association for Science and Technology, said environmental protection is a vital key to build an all-round well-off society, which is a target set by China's decision-makers for the coming two decades.

"Environmental and ecological deterioration has already greatly impeded further economic and social development of China," said Deng, former vice minister of Science and Technology.

Statistics show that China's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2004 reached 13.6 trillion yuan (US$1.64 trillion), with an annual growth rate of 9.5 percent. But China consumed energy 4.3 times that of the United States for reaching same amount of GDP, 7.7 times that of both Germany and France, and 11.5 times that of Japan.

In more than 660 Chinese cities surveyed, the statistics show that about 400 were short of water and over 100 suffered from water shortage badly.

"China has a very low per capita energy occupation which requires us to develop in a sustained manner," Deng said.

A latest survey in Beijing showed that three fifths of the public have an ordinary awareness of environment protection and one fifth care little. Only a few had good awareness of environmental and ecological protection.

"We should popularize the idea of environmental and ecological protection as well as the energy-saving lifestyle," Deng said.