China’s Environmental Issues
Introduction
This article focuses on China and its current environmental issues. The Chinese nation faces various environmental issues, which largely affects its biophysical environment plus the human health. The article will focus extensively on the different types of pollution affecting the Chinese nation. Some of the environmental pollutions the article will cover include, water, soil and air pollution. Other types of environmental pollutions in the country are industrial pollutions, lead poisoning, and persistent organic pollutants. The article will give some of the responses and the measures the Chinese Government is doing to ensure a clean environment. The article will briefly talk about the environmental policies in the country. The environmental policies are Environmental regulations, which are structured to ensure a safe Chinese environment. The article will focus on some of the economic and physical costs of water and air pollution in China. Some of the pollution related challenges that the article will deal with include, pollution related disease challenges and burdens, loss of crops, fisheries and material damages. The study will also attempt to find out the health costs related to water and air pollution in the country. China is one of the major producers and distributors of natural resources. It is the world’s leading producer and manufacturer of various coveted natural resources. The country’s geographical nature favors it to various natural resources in terms of availability and accessibility of these items. The Chinese nation has a huge number of mineral treasuries and is one of the biggest antimony producers. The Chinese nation is also known for its many industries around the globe.
China’s Environmental issues and problems
China’s major problems are pollution and water scarcity. These two issues threaten human health and progress. Water problems in the country jeopardize the country’s economic plans. Water scarcity in Chinese cities results in U.S. $11.2 billion loss in industrial output. Alternatively, water pollution on the Chinese citizens is valued at U.S. $3.9 billion by various Chinese sources. Due to the increased water shortages in the country, analysts predict economic crisis in the country. The Chinese nation also faces various threats due to water pollution. Some parts of the country experience extreme water shortages. In most parts of the country, the water seems to be heavily polluted. This seems to exceed the national standards. Flooding is also a regular problem in some parts of the country.
Environmental Pollutions in China
Environmental pollution in China is a key aspect in the broader topic of China’s environmental issues. The burden of water and air pollution is not properly distributed across the Chinese nation. The poor Chinese citizens are not proportionately affected by the country’s health burden. Only six provinces have 50 percent of rain acid effects in China. There are various forms of pollution in the country because of the increased industrialization. The increased industrialization in the country causes a widespread of health and environmental problems. The World Bank claims that China has 16 cities, which are among the 20 most polluted cities in the world.
Water availability in China
The Chinese nation ranks fourth globally in terms of water resources, however, the country is the second lowest when it comes to per capita water availability. In 2000, the annual water shortage in the country was expected to reach 25 to 30 billion cubic meters. The shortages is also expected to peak by the year 2020. Some regions in the country have less water compared to the national average.
China is one of the major producers and distributors of natural resources. It is the world’s leading producer and manufacturer of various coveted natural resources. The country’s geographical nature favors it to various natural resources in terms of availability and accessibility of these items. The Chinese nation has a huge number of mineral treasuries and is one of the biggest antimony producers. The country also produces tungsten and zinc globally. Some of other natural resources that country produces include ore, coal, iron, aluminum, uranium, vanadium, manganese, mercury, natural gases, tin and molybdenum (Allison, 96).
Water resources in the Chinese nation are affected by water quality pollution and water quantity shortages. Rapid economic growth and an increase in population are the factors, which have contributed to the increasing of water demands and pollution. Lax environmental oversight is also a major factor contributing to high water demands in China. It is because of these factors that the country has decided to respond by employing several measures to contain the situation. Some of the measures, which the Chinese government enacted, included increased regulation, technological solutions and building water infrastructure (Wang, 124).
Water Pollution
Most of the country’s water bodies such as rivers and lakes are polluted. Some of the most common polluted watersheds include, Hai, Huai, Chang, Zhu (Pear), Songhua, Liao, Huang (Yellow). Some of the pollution sources in China include toxic pollutants and the traditional pollutants. The toxic pollutants are peculiar to industrializing developing nations. Both the industrial and municipals wastewater are not well treated. Only 17% of industrial water waste and 5% of household water waste are treated. This is according to various Chinese authorities and UNDP.
The water resources in the Chinese nation are heavily affected by severe water pollution and water quantity shortages. The condition of China’s water pollution is alarming. Unfortunately, various developing nations destroy the environment as they try to clinch power. The United States once destroyed a large portion of its environmental resources during the 1800 for other ideas. The country has other conservations, which cause the need for attention, although none of the conservations are as dangerous as water pollution in the country. China has more than 70% of its lakes and rivers polluted. Most of its groundwater is also polluted by the environmental factors. Most of the cooking and drinking water comes from these ground waters. This means that more than 320 million Chinese residents do not access clean drinking water. Facts regarding water pollution in the country are discouraging and pollution occurs in a large scale in the country. There are a few regulations and infrastructure, which prevents these contaminations (Wang, 187).
Effects of water pollution
Most of the Chinese population consumes drinking water, which is contaminated with human, and animal waste surpasses the applicable maximum allowable levels, additionally, despite this, there has been a general decline in mortality ranging from diarrhea diseases, viral hepatitis and infectious diseases, all of which are associated with water pollution. These are the main diseases in China. Stomach and liver cancers are also some of the diseases caused by water pollution. Globally, China is the leading country that has most stomach and liver cancer death rates. In China, most polluted rural areas such as Shenfu irrigation area and Shanxi areas, there is a high rate at which individuals suffer from stomach and liver cancer. Some of the recent reports claim that the rate at which Chinese residents suffer from cancer and how birth defects is higher in rural areas which are polluted with water than in a cleaner environment.
Water Poisoning
Water poisoning is a common pediatric health challenge in China. One third of the country’s children undergo through high blood lead levels. Pollution from battery industries and metal smelting companies are highly responsible to the increased blood lead levels among the children. The Chinese government acknowledges this as a major problem in the country hence it has taken various measures to control these situations. Some of the measures the country has put in place include suspending battery factories in the country, enacting laws, which will limit poisoning and will advocate for a clean and safe environment. Currently, things are changing in the country whereby, the lead levels have drastically reduced. Controlling and the prevention of lead poisoning is a long-term mission in the country (Zhao, Jingzhu, 79).
Soil poisoning resulting to water pollution
Soil poisoning is known to be a major cause of water pollution in China. Soil pollution in China is caused by xenobiotic presence in the soil environment. Xenobiotics are human made chemicals, which are found in a natural soil environment. The causes of these are the industrial activities, improper disposals and the agricultural chemicals. Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons and Petroleum hydrocarbons are the most common chemicals found in the soils. Some of the Polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons include benzo, naphthalene, heavy metals, pesticides and solvents. China is a participant country of the Stockholm Convention treaty. The Stockholm Convention treaty controls and helps in phasing out persistent organic pollutants in the environment, which can cause water poisoning.
In 2010, the treaty’s plan of action had various objectives which included the elimination of production, importation and the use of pesticides which were covered under the convention and accounting the systems of PCB which contained the equipment. The country’s plan is to establish a POP inventory by the year 2015. This site entails contaminated and remediation plans. Since 2009, the Stockholm Convention treaty has been covering perfluorooctanesulfonic acid and polybrominated diphenyl. Generally, Perfluorinated compounds relate to altered thyroid function and a decrease in sperm count among individuals. The Chinese government finds it difficult to control and eradicate POPs because they are cheaper compared to their alternatives (Day, Kristen, 75).
Air pollution does not really result to water pollution but it generally plays a big role in it. Air pollution results in acid rains and that is a major cause of water pollution. In 2012, the Chinese Medical Association president Zhong Nanshan stated that air pollution could end up becoming the biggest health challenge. During this time, cardiovascular and Lung cancer were on the rise because of vehicle and factory air pollution. Tobacco pollution was also on the rise. China’s six biggest cities such as Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Xian are the most polluted cities globally. In most regions including Hebei province and Xuan Wei, the rate at which chronic lung disease spreads is faster compared to other parts of the country. Lung cancer was more common in big towns and cities compared to the countryside areas. Zhong also stated that transparency was on the increase in recent years and that much information was needed to help the country’s residents. He also called for an extended epidemiological research. He questioned the country’s official data, which claimed that air pollution was on the decrease.
Current statistics claims that the governmental air quality index does not include PM2.5 and the ozone. This is despite it being dangerous to individuals. In January 2013, the country’s statistics showed air pollution levels, measured by particulate matter density, which are smaller than 2.0 micrometers. It also claims that smog from the Chinese nation reached as a field just like in California. There has been an increase in Sulfur dioxide until 2006. However, currently, the levels of Sulfur dioxide in the country have declined. This is due to the improvements on various related variables including the acid rains frequency. One of the main contributors of the reduction of Sulfur dioxide in the Chinese nation is due to the adaption of technologies that reduce sulfur such as the power plants. Other factors, which contribute to large-scale air pollution, are the excessive use of formaldehyde during construction and furniture (Zhao, Jingzhu, 69).
Industrial pollution is known to be major cause of water pollution. In 1997, various organizations and the World Bank released a report that targeted the Chinese policies towards industrial pollution. The report claimed that many Chinese residents die prematurely because of serious respiratory problems, which are caused by industrial air pollution. Industrial discharges in many Chinese waterways are unfit for human consumption. Nevertheless, industrial reforms and environmental regulations had extreme effects on the environment. The country is currently facing extreme environmental degradation, with international repercussions and stark domestic, that the country’s pollution poses long-term burdens and acute political challenges. Some of the points of the Industrial pollution article stated that industrial pollution is a big contributor of deaths in the country, ambient air pollution has killed many Chinese residents in the past years, and more than 500 million of the Chinese residents lack clean and safe drinking water. The report also claims that, very few city residents breathe safe air. This is because most of the Chinese cities are covered by toxic gray shroud. In the Beijing, the city authorities frantically tried magic formulae to clear the city’s skies during the 2008 Olympics (Faure,84)
The article also claims that, pollution has spread internationally. Aspects such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide fall as acid rain in the country. Some Geophysical researches claim that the country’s pollution has reached in the United States of America in Los Angeles. In 2003, the country’s Academy of Environmental planning reports stated that, about 300,000 people succumb yearly from lung cancer and heart disease. Most of which are caused by excessive air pollution. Recent reports claim that, China has made major improvements in terms of environmental protection in recent years. The country has improved its forest cover most recently. The country is also managing the rate at which water and air are polluted (Faure,147).
Other major pollutants in China are lead poisoning, soil pollution and the persistent organic pollutants.
China’s Environmental Policies and measures
Going by the 2009 article, the Chinese government placed its focus on the country’s environmental issues and the creation of sustainable growth. During the launch of the article, the government made various priorities especially on the environmental protection stressing on the environmental pollution. Environmental regulations were then hardened during this event to show how the government was serious about the issue. Some of the financial assistance to industries polluting the environment was dismissed and contracts canceled. The government then promoted the clean energy technology, although different environmental targets were still missing. Industries, which were still polluting the environment, continued to access inexpensive land, electricity, oil and loans from the banks (Feng, 103).
The market-oriented measures, which include coal and fuel surcharges were lacking. Instead, the Chinese government controlled the gasoline prices and made it inexpensive for the citizens. The country’s local authorities had substantial autonomy and were promoted depending on how the economy grew. This resulted to effective central decisions. In the year 2004, the Chinese government instituted a green gross local product project whereby the gross domestic product was regulated in order to compensate for the environmental effects, which were negative. In China, the environmental Kuznets curves are the argued relationship whereby the environmental issues primarily deteriorate over various issues of improvement while there is the development of economy (Feng, 159).
The Chinese government has enacted various measures and policies in order to ensure a safe environment for the people of China. The measures and policies are drafted depending with type of environmental hazard. Regarding the water and resources, the Chinese government has enacted various increased regulations such as technological solutions and building water infrastructure to ensure water in the Chinese nation remains precious and conserved. Regarding the issues of pollution, the Chinese government knows that this is a major problem in the country hence it has taken various measures to control these situations. Some of the measures the country has put in place include enacting laws, which limit some polluting industries or any unproductive polluting firm, banning industries, which might cause air pollution, publishing information regarding air and water pollution in the magazines and newspapers to sensitize its citizens.
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