China’s Water Problems
There is an excellent article in the New York Times today about water scarcity in China. It’s about four pages long, so if you have the time, it’s a great read. If not, you can just read the following for a summary of its important points:
5 China Water Pollution Facts
- Water pollution is rampant in China
- A major water pollution incident occurs in China every other day
- Many parts of rivers in China are so polluted that you shouldn’t even touch them
- China is considering a new water pollution law that would levy far higher fines against polluters
- About 41% of China’s wastewater is dumped in the Yantze river
9 China Water Scarcity Facts
- Water usage in China is up 4x since 1949
- China has about 20% of the world’s population and 7% of its water resources
- 4/5 of China’s water supply is in the south
- Factories in China use 3-10x more water (depending on the product) than similar factories in developed nations
- Water scarcity has continued to get worse in Northern China
- Aquifers below the North China Plain may go completely dry in 30 years
- 5/6 of the wetlands in the North China Plain have already dried up
- No groundwater in the North China Plain equals non-sustainable development
- Groundwater usage in the North China Plain has doubled since 1970 and makes up 1/5 of China’s total water usage
