12.4 Case Study Pearl River Delta, Environmental Management

Question 1

Location and other details

Answer 1

Guangdong Province, China.
Southern China.

Possibly biggest pollution hotspot in East Asia, major impacts spilling over into South China Sea.

One of China’s most serious environmental challenges.

Question 2

When did environmental damage begin and why?

Answer 2

Began about 1000 years ago when large numbers of people migrated from north to south.

Agricultural expansion meant loss of vegetation and destruction of wildlife habitats (tigers, deers, elephants).

Question 3

Historical environmental degradation - deforestation

Answer 3

Provide firewood (biomass).
Used as building material.
Make charcoal.

Clear land for farming and settlements; safety from wild animals such as snake, or bandits

Elephants disappeared from region.
Tigers persisted until early 19th century, but numbers have continued to decline

Question 4

Historical environmental degradation - erosion

Answer 4

Region is largely of granite and volcanic rock -> chemical weathering reaches depth of 60-80m.

Soil fertility is poor

Fires and landslides are common.
With deforestation, erosion is even easier.

Question 5

Historical environmental degradation - WWII

Answer 5

China’s Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution and economic developments contributed to environmental damage here

Question 6

China’s national problem

Answer 6

Natural ecosystems are degrading.
Habitat loss has accelerated.
Number of native species is decreasing.

Question 7

PRD’s econ growth

Answer 7

One of the fastest growing regions in China.
Averaging 13% growth per year since early 1980s.

Question 8

Reasons for PRD’s econ growth

Answer 8

Large inflows of FDI.
Initially on low value-added manufacturing.

More recently in higher value-added manufacturing and some services.

Question 9

PRD’s econ growth in stats

Answer 9

1985, near start of boom, farms, fishing towns and rural trades of Guangdong accounted for $8 billion in annual business according to provincial econ report.

2014, Guangdong’s annual economy, led by light and heavy industry, is valued to be $1.1 trillion. More than Indonesia’s GDP and 10.4% of China’s.

Question 10

Cost of PRD’s econ growth

Answer 10

Investment in environmental protection could not keep pace with econ advances.

Pearl River, China’s 3rd longest river became highly populated.
Many of its tributaries worse than lowest national surface water quality standard, and unfit as a drinking water source.

Question 11

Dominant pollutants in P.R

Answer 11

Ammonium, phosphorus and organic compounds

Question 12

Causes of river pollution

Answer 12

Domestic waste water discharged into river without treatment, except a few larger municipalities where only a proportion was treated.

2005, 55% of Foshan’s waste water was treated. 22% of Jiangmen was treated.

Question 13

China’s system of environmental standards for water quality

Answer 13

Class I - cleanest
Class V - dirtiest

Question 14

Total environmental degradation costs

Answer 14

18.1-19.8 billion US dollars.

Question 15

Difference between PRD’s cities in environmental degradation

Answer 15

Environmental degradation index declined slightly over the years, but there were significant differences among cities.

Capacity of environmental control between cities also had large differences.

Question 16

Difference between PRD’s cities in environmental degradation, So…

Answer 16

Cities in region should take measures tailored to their situation to optimise resource, and overcome conflict between econ development and environmental protection.

Cities with high degradation cost, it is urgent to accelerate efforts in improving quality of environment and ecosystem.

Cities with lower costs, important to take action to keep sustainable and ecological econ development.

Question 17

Management: First Guangdong Pearl River Delta Urban Environment Project (approved 2004)

Answer 17

World Bank supported Guangdong govt’s efforts to clean up PRD and improve water quality.
Financed wastewater treatment facilities.

Other investments in provincial capital of Guangzhou, the most concentrated pollution source area

Question 18

Management: Second Guangdong Pearl River Delta Urban Environment Project (approved March 2007)

Answer 18

Focused on Foshan and Jiangmen, which together accounted for 15% of pollutants in river.

Aimed to reduce water pollution in river that originated from these 2 municipalities through key initiatives such as:
1. Wastewater treatment and sludge disposal
2. Water quality monitoring
3. Sediment removal from waterways
4. Flood protection and river embankment improvements

Question 19

Management of air quality: Shenzhen

Answer 19

Shenzhen is converting buses to cleaner fuel.

30,000 what city authorities called ‘seriously polluting vehicles’ has been taken off the streets in 2013.
Thousands of electric vehicles have been introduced, including scooters and bicycles.
There have also been introductions of ‘bike sharing’.

As of 2013, cleaner buildings reduced fossil fuel consumption by 3.57 million metric tons, CO2 emission by 9.23 million metric tons annually. Equivalent to taking a 1000 megawatt coal-fired power plant offline.

Question 20

Management of air quality: 2009 Guangdong ban of new coal-fired power plants in PRD.

Answer 20

Later ordered existing ones to convert to natural gas.

Enforcement was originally spotty, but active civic protest against new coal-fired plants stiffened provincial resolve to make the 2009 order stick

Question 21

Guangdong 2022 diversification program

Answer 21

A $23 billion program to diversify and clean up power industry.

Building nuclear plants $17.8 billion.
Wind power $3.6 billion.
Solar fields $1.6 billion.

Question 22

Effects of Guangdong 2022 diversification program outside of PRD

Answer 22

Affects 34 existing coal-fired plants outside PRD, which accounts for ~51,000 megawatts of generating capacity, and 71% of Guangdong’s electricity.

Question 23

Shenzhen current air quality

Answer 23

Amongst the best in the country according to the city.

Concentrations of particulate matter averaged 4 times the health limit set by WHO

Question 24

Results of 2007-2013 Second Guangdong Pear River Delta Urban Environment Project: Foshan

Answer 24

Water collection and treatment rose from 55% in 2005 to 88% in 2013.
Due to capacity expansion of Zhen’an Wastewater Treatment Plant from 200,000 to 250,000 cubic meters a day and 7.6km of associated sewer collection networks constructed under project. Serving 1.1 million people in Chancheng District today.

4 new sludge treatment facilities with daily capacity of 220 tons. Ensure sludge is properly treated and disposed, preventing contamination of groundwater and waterways around site.

6.7KM of embankments along Fengjiang river were improved to intercept wastewater and redirect it to wastewater treatment plant. River banks elevated to a height to protect against 50-year flood

Water quality improved after ~700,000 cubic meters of wet sediments were dredged from river beds, dewatered and disposed. 4 automatic water quality monitoring stations and a water environmental management information system established, including an emergency preparedness system to facilitate rapid reaction from environmental protection agency towards uncontrolled discharge of pollutants in river.

Staff training, an international conference, and study tours to learn from international best practices in sustainable urban development

Question 25

Results of 2007-2013 Second Guangdong Pear River Delta Urban Environment Project: Jiangmen

Answer 25

Waste treatment capacity rose from 22% in 2005 to 70% in 2013. Due to capacity expansion of Wen Chang Sha Wastewater Treatment Plant from 50,000 to 200,000 cubic meters a day, as well as pumping station and 22km of sewers constructed under project, serving about 500,000 people.

Technical assistance provided to enhance operational and business management capacities of the newly established Jiangmen Biyuan Wastewater Company, responsible for operation of wastewater treatment plant

Question 26

PRD in 2015

Answer 26

24% of water still Grade V+

Question 27

Issues of management of pollution in PRD

Answer 27

Environmental scientists and civic authorities argue the core obstruction is capacity of city leaders and regulators to enforce restraints on polluters.

Directing companies to curtail pollution is viewed as threat to job and economy, or distasteful interference in China. Personal behaviour differs from western world where interference is seen as a civic need.

Question 28

Video

Question 29

Why was air pollution a problem

Answer 29

Induces acid rain