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China’s Water Problems

No Water

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

  1. Water pollution is rampant in China
  2. A major water pollution incident occurs in China every other day
  3. Many parts of rivers in China are so polluted that you shouldn’t even touch them
  4. China is considering a new water pollution law that would levy far higher fines against polluters
  5. About 41% of China’s wastewater is dumped in the Yantze river

9 China Water Scarcity Facts

  1. Water usage in China is up 4x since 1949
  2. China has about 20% of the world’s population and 7% of its water resources
  3. 4/5 of China’s water supply is in the south
  4. Factories in China use 3-10x more water (depending on the product) than similar factories in developed nations
  5. Water scarcity has continued to get worse in Northern China
  6. Aquifers below the North China Plain may go completely dry in 30 years
  7. 5/6 of the wetlands in the North China Plain have already dried up
  8. No groundwater in the North China Plain equals non-sustainable development
  9. Groundwater usage in the North China Plain has doubled since 1970 and makes up 1/5 of China’s total water usage

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