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中文: Paper 4 Emerging China > Pollution: Water Pollution > Flashcards

Pollution: Water Pollution Flashcards

1
Q

Percentage of water available in China

A

China is home to 20% of the global population. But only only 7% of the world’s fresh water

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2
Q

How much water is in South China?

A

80% of this water is in the South

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3
Q

How many people in China fall ill from diseases caused by water pollution?

A

190 million such a liver and gastric cancers

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4
Q

How much does water crisis cost the government every year?

A

The water crisis is costing $200 billion a year

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5
Q

WHO’s statement on China’s water pollution

A

In 1994, the World Health Organisation reported that China’s cities contained more polluted water than those of any other country in the world

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6
Q

How many people in China don’t have access to clean drinking water?

A

An official report from 2012 found that up to 200 million rural Chinese have no access to clean drinking water

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7
Q

How many urban bodies are polluted?

A

90% urban water bodies are severely polluted

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8
Q

The Yangtze, Pearl and yellow river

A

The Yangtze, Pearl and Yellow River are so filthy that it is dangerous to swim or eat fish caught in them.
- Parts of the Pearl River in Guangzhou are so thick, dark and soupy it looks like one could walk across it.
- Industrial toxins were blamed for turning the Yangtze an alarming shade of red in 2012.

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9
Q

Reasons for water pollution

A
  • industrial pollution
  • inadequate sewage systems
  • lack of govt regulation
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10
Q

How has industrial pollution caused water pollution?

A
  • Decades of strong economic growth, rapid industrialisation and development have resulted in heavily polluted water.
  • Acid rain falls on 30% of the count
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11
Q

How has inadequate sewage systems caused water pollution?

A
  • The nationwide standards for the treatment of sewage are also far from sufficient
  • In the late 2000s, about 1/3 industrial wastewater and more than 90% of household sewage in China was released into rivers and lakes without being treated.
  • At the same time, nearly 80% of China’s cities had no sewage treatment facilities
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12
Q

How has lack of govt regulation caused water pollution?

A
  • Local govt have failed to crack down on polluting industries.
  • E.g In 2011, reports emerged that Luliang Chemical Industry in Yunnan province had disposed of 5,000 tonnes of chemical waste next to a river used as a drinking source.
  • The firm was later found guilty of illegally discharging chemicals in the water however, the local government took no action to regulate the company’s chemical waste disposal
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13
Q

Water pollution in southern vs northern china

A
  • water considered unfit for human consumption 45%:north 10%: Southern China.
  • 80% of the rivers in the Northern province of ShanXi have been rate unfit for human contact.
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14
Q

How much is water polluted in rural areas?

A
  • In the 2000s it was estimated that nearly 2/3 of China’s rural population use was contaminated by human and industrial waste.
  • Rural residents are more likely than urban residents to die to stomach and intestinal cancers
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15
Q

Consequences of water pollution

A
  • health
  • economy
  • lack of water
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16
Q

How has health been impacted by water pollution?

A
  • The polluted water that is consumed contains dangerous levels of arsenic,
    fluorine and sulphates.
  • China’s high rates of liver and stomach cancer have been linked to water pollution.
  • China’s cancer mortality rate has soared (80% now in the last 30 years)
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17
Q

How has economy been impacted by water pollution?

A

Recent estimates suggest that water pollution causes more than 100,000 deaths and USD 1.46 trillion in economic losses each year in China

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18
Q

How has water scarcity been impacted by water pollution?

A
  • Local authorities are digging deeper well to reach drinkable water (which is hard to come by since 80% of groundwater from major river basins is unsuitable for human contact)
  • The World Bank warns of “catastrophic consequences for future generations” due to water shortages and pollution
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19
Q

China’s water pollution compared to other countries

A

➢ China: 11.7 million pounds
➢ US: 5.5 million pounds
➢ Japan: 3.4 million pounds

20
Q

Policies implemented by the government

A
  • 2015 ministry policy
  • World Bank loan
21
Q

Ministry in 2015

A

In 2015, the ministry ordered provinces to meet the water quality targets they set every 5 years.
• However, nearly half of the country missed it targets for the period 2011-15.

22
Q

World Bank water pollution

A

Dec 2021, the World Bank approved a $400 million loan for the removal of pollutants in the Yangtze River Basin.

23
Q

Article showing decrease in pollutant levels

A

The University of California wrote an article showing a 19% decrease in pollutant levels in reportst that became possible with the help of the citize

24
Q

Example of China’s water pollution improvement in lakes

A

Baiyangdian, North China’s largest freshwater lake, saw the lake’s best condition in 2021 since the initial monitoring in 1988

25
Q

Water pollution conclusion

A
  • There are clear differences in efforts to address China’s water and air pollution. Air pollution awareness has swelled with the problems met with swift government actions.
  • The same vigilance is needed to address water pollution.
26
Q

What should the govt do?

A

1) water pollution data should be made publicly available
2) govt should we firm water quality targets
3) local govt should be given more resources to minitower water pollution (increased inspection staff and improved tech)

27
Q

What should the government do regarding water pollution data?

A
  • First water pollution data should be made publicly available to all so local govt can be held accountable.
  • China’s environment ministry announced that the 2017 water equality rankings will only be released for 10 best and worst performing cities. Data from all cities should be made.
28
Q

Firm water quality targets

A

Local governments should set firm water quality targets and meet them 100%. If they don’t meet it, consequences should be made.

29
Q

How important is water to China?

A
  • China consumes a large amount of water as water is crucial to processes of agriculture.
  • Northern China is the main agricultural zone, accounting for 2⁄3 of all of China’s farmlands as well as 1/2 nations population
  • However it holds an estimated 4% of all of China’s water resources.
30
Q

North China Aquifer

A
  • one of the world’s most overexploited groundwater resources due to unsustainable extractions
  • plays an important role in food security (13% of agricultural production)
  • due to intensive farming practices, much of the aquifer has declined by 20 metres
31
Q

Impact of climate change on water

A
  • China’s increasing temperatures = its glaciers to melt
  • 1/5 of the ice cover has disappeared since the 1950s.
  • glacial run-off into the Yangtze alone has been reduced by 13.9% since the 1990s = less freshwater availability.
  • increasing temperatures in the south of China = drought like conditions
32
Q

What is the South-North wate transfer?

A

A large industrial project that involves diverting water from the Yangtze River to the North of China
- aims to bring an annual 44.8 billion cubic metres of fresh water to the North

33
Q

Who started the idea for the South North water transfer?

A
  • Mao Zedong in 1952
  • contradiction for the Eastern route began in 23rd August 2002 and construction is still ongoing however it has been in use since 2013.
34
Q

When is the project expected to be completed?

A

• Construction for the western route has not begun, and it will supply water to inner mongolia, qinghai and gansu. It is expected to be completed in 2050

35
Q

How much is the North South transfer expected to cost?

A

The project is expected to cost over $62 billion

36
Q

Social problems of the South North transfer

A
  • hundreds of thousands of people displaced from the construction of dams and reservoirs
  • ecological damage to the natural environment
  • antiquities have been lost
37
Q

Economic problems of the South North transfer

A
  • the region is prone to earthquakes which could cause extensive damage to the scheme
  • the project cost a significant amount of money to taxpayers
38
Q

Social advantages of the South North transfer

A
  • reducing water insecurity in the north & supporting economic development
  • food security improving as more water is available for irrigation
  • health benefits from improved water quality
39
Q

Economic advantages of the South North transfer

A
  • improved water supply for industry
  • additional water will help China cope with climate change
  • groundwater withdrawal is reducing
40
Q

Lung cancer in China

A

China accounted for 26.9% of the world’s total cancer deaths (World Cancer Report), 2019

41
Q

What is the ‘Green Hanjiang River’?

A
  • In 2002, Yun initiated the Environmental Protection Association of Xiangyang (“Green Hanjiang River,”) which was the first non-governmental environmental protection organization in Hubei.
    *
42
Q

What are the Huai River protectors?

A

Guardians of the Huai River is a non-profit organisation founded by Huo Daishan which advocates for the protection of the Huai River of China.

43
Q

What is the Mekong water transfer scheme?

A
  • China (eager to boost its renewable energy capacity to reduce reliance on coal) hasa built at least 95 hydroelectric dams on tributaries flowing into the Mekong river
44
Q

Consequences of the Mekong river system

A

Analysts say Chinese officials are diverting so much water dams along the upper Mekong river system that SE Asian countries are going dry during prime agricultural seasons & turning to other powers for help

45
Q

From what rivers does the South-North transfer take from?

A

Yellow river, Yangtze River, Huai He and Hei He river

46
Q

Why might the South-North transfer not be effective”

A

It is likely that the water will be polluted along the rivers, in particular the Yangtze. The govt will then have to invest tin further water treatment plans

47
Q

China’s environmental protection tax (EPT)

A
  • January 2018, govt implemented a new environmental tax policy effectively ending the 40 year old pollutant discharge fee
  • all of the revenue collected will be retained at the local level.
  • Previously, the central government took 10% of the fee.
  • Now, local authorities collect 100% of the tax revenue & have more power to enforce the tax.

中文: Paper 4 Emerging China (14 decks)

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