29 October 2014 GEO 352 The pursuit of economic growth has been the priority overshadowing the vital issues of water resources and ecological balance 5 Chinas GDP has increased 10 each year since the 1970s ID: 1048138
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1. Water Quality in ChinaBraden Rosenberg, John Gilbert, Kristen Underwood29 October 2014, GEO 352
2. “The pursuit of economic growth has been the priority overshadowing the vital issuesof water resources and ecological balance” 5.China’s GDP has increased 10% each year since the 1970s. 7
3. OutlineWater Resources of ChinaBrief History of Water Law & PolicyProject ProfilesEutrophicationMiningSouth-to-North Water Diversion
4. Water Resources of China7 % of world’s freshwater resources, but ~ 20% of world’s population 1Water usage has increased 5-fold since 1949 (People’s Republic of China est.) 14/5 of water concentrated in the south 1Population densities in the north and east 1http://www.nature.com/news/society-realizing-china-s-urban-dream-1.15151Nature, 2014 vol 511, issue 7511
5. Water Resources300 million people in China affected by water shortages 4http://www.china-profile.com/data/fig_renewable-water-resources_1.htmPer capita Renewable Water Resources in the 25 Most Populous Countries(x 1000 cubic meters per year)
6. Nature, 2014 vol 511, issue 7511Water Demand – major sectorsAgriculture (North Plain)IndustryDomestic (urban centers)
7. Water DemandIssues:Overpumping of Groundwatere.g., North China Plain produces ½ of the country’s grain; groundwater aquifers have been overpumped leading to water table decline on the order of hundreds of meters 6Diversion/Impoundment of watere.g., 22,104 dams over the height of 15 m (2000)Ditching/ Wetland Loss
8. Water QualityNatural contaminants Arsenic26 M peopleFluoridesDental fluorosisSkeletal fluorosis25 M peopleNature, 2014 vol 511, issue 7511
9. Water QualityHuman contaminantsAgricultural runoff (fertilizers, pesticides, livestock waste)– algal blooms, eutrophicationSedimentSeptic wasteHeavy metals (e.g., As, Mn)Radioactive wastes (thorium)Petrochemicals70% of China’s surface waters are polluted 7
10. Water Regulations – abbreviated timeline 9Environmental Protection Law Est. 1989; broad environmental policyEstablishes “Polluter pays” principleEnvironmental protection as a right and obligation for all citizensLaw on Prevention and Control of Water Pollutionest. 1984, amended 1996Implementation lacking, few incentives for enforcementState council & local governments have implemented regulations to address water pollutionLPCWP amended 2008Stronger penalties for violators, created discharge permit programState / local governments continue to enforce local regulations1998 - State Environmental Protection Agency est. as a ministry level agency, following a year of devastating floods2008 – SEPA replaced by Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP)
11. Water Law & PolicyGovernment Context 9Unitary system –local level powers are only those delegated by the central government Post-Mao reforms have eroded central government power over local-level subordinate bureaus Effect on Regulation 9Multi-tiered system of regulation / enforcementMinistry for Environmental Protection (MEP) directs national efforts, while subordinate bureaus at the provincial, city, county, district, and town levels implement the national statutes and regulationLocal environmental protection bureaus report to regional governmentsRegional governments receive tax revenues from industry (financial incentive to protect industry)Regulated industry often has direct personal ties to regional government
12. Water Law & PolicyGovernment Context 9Parliamentary system, with President and Prime MinisterCivil law society – judges do not have authority to make or interpret the lawCommunist Party has a parallel government structureEffect on Regulation 9Prime Minister oversees MEPNontransparent decision-making; may limit public engagement
13. Examples of Recent Progress2007 to present – EPA – China Environmental Law Initiative US EPA collaborating with Chinese MEP to establish and develop various environmental protection programs2013 – National Standards on Environmental Protection in effecte.g., air quality monitoring standardsFeb 2014 – MEP announces plan to invest $US 320B to address water pollution 7Sep 2014 – World Bank approves loans totaling more than $US 500M to improve water and wastewater infrastructure in three rural and suburban regions of China 8
14. http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/lgcolor/cncolor.htmProject Profiles North-South TransferMiningEutrophication
15. 106:16:1C:N:P
16. Credit: Desert Research InstituteEutrophication effects:-Recreation-Fisheries-Microcystin-Coastal “dead-zones”
17. Steady decrease in lake size throughout record24,923 km250% of total area!
18. Water Quality… and Rare Earth Control in the PRC
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20. Bayan Obo Mining DistrictInner Mongolia
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22. Batou City, Inner MongoliaPop. ~2 million
23. Legacy Mines
24. http://web.mit.edu/12.000/www/m2016/finalwebsite/problems/disposal.html
25. 44.8 billion m3/year4,350km (~2,750miles)$60 billion3,000 to 5,000m peaks~500,000 people to be relocated340,000 already moved
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27. 15% decrease in Yangtze water since 1970Diversion = “5% of Yangtze flow”Data on flow from 1950-1990’s
28. Massively increased adjacent river engineering: -Build more dams to supplement rivers that are being diverted -Construct barriers to prevent pollution of clean reservoirs and rivers
29. Water Quality
30. ReferencesNY Times, 28Sept 2007, Under China's Booming North, the Future Is Drying Up”, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE5D8143AF93BA1575AC0A9619C8B63&pagewanted=1Gleick, Peter H., 2009, China and Water. Chapter 5 in The World’s Water, Pacific Institute, http://www2.worldwater.org/data20082009/ch05.pdf http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/world/asia/china-takes-loss-to-get-ahead-in-desalination-industry.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0Tao & Zin, 30 July 2014, Public health: A sustainable plan for China's drinking water. Nature 511 (7511). http://www.nature.com/news/public-health-a-sustainable-plan-for-china-s-drinking-water-1.15619China Daily. 2007a. Before We Run Dry. February 28, 2007. http://www.mwr.gov.cn/english1/20070228/82467.aspGriffiths, D. 2006. Drought Worsens China Water Woes. British Broadcasting Corporation News (BBC), Beijing. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4754519.stmToronto Star, 12 May 2004, China wakes up to its water crisis. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/05/12/china_wakes_up_to_its_water_crisis.htmlThe World Bank, 12 Sept 2014, World Bank to Help Improve Environmental Services in China. http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/09/25/world-bank-to-help-improve-environmental-services-in-chinaWinalski, Dawn, 2009, Cleaner Water in China? The Implications of the Amendments to China’s Law on the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution. J. ENVTL. LAW AND LITIGATION [Vol. 24, 181], http://law.uoregon.edu/org/jell/docs/232/Winalski.pdf