Major Environmental Problems in China: its causes and policy options
Category : Environment Audit, Topics on China
ABSTRACT
China is recognized with its progressive economic development. Amidst this distinction, the former “Sleeping Giant” while making its way towards development is faced with another challenge of sustainable development particularly in protecting the environment and natural resources. It is widely accepted that development has its toll on people and nature. This paper discusses the major environmental problems in China particularly in pollution of land, water, and air areas. Furthermore, the causes of the identified pollutions are mentioned. Lastly, policy options are evaluated. Recommendations are similarly presented including the role of national government and Chinese people.
Major Environmental Problems in China: its causes and policy options
China’s current conditions in relation to environment degradation are rapidly increasing despite the similarly growing awareness and interests of the public and government’s identified policy formulation and implementation. The so-called “Sleeping Giant” is now wide awake and moving towards development. However, the long-waited big leap towards development is coupled with large challenge of coming up with sustainable development with further emphasis on the protection of the environment and natural resources. The forward mechanism of China towards development particularly on industrial and economic aspects is tantamount to environmental degradation as shown on various cases of pollution in the areas of land, water, and air. This paper explores the major environmental problems in China by illuminating on specific areas including land, water, and air. A general evaluation of the environmental condition is included. Furthermore, its possible causes are briefly enumerated and discussed. Lastly, policy options are pointed out and maximize its applicability to specific situations.
China’s Major Environmental Problems and its Causes
Among the recognized countries in terms of its inability to manage its protection and preservation of environment and natural resources, China is faced with various forms of land, water, and air pollution. According to Lu and Lo (2007), China has experienced the beneficial results of major industrial and economic growth in the past ten years and had surpassed the economic performance and stability of its neighboring Asian as well as developing countries. Zeng and Eastin (2007) argue that not all the consequences of the phenomenal economic growth of China are beneficial. Some aspects of China’s development is comes with severe cases of environmental problems.
Land Pollution. On the case of China, land pollution is manifested on its land and soil problems and improper management and disposal of wastes. The problem on soil is related to deforestation, loss of grasslands, soil erosion, desertification, and fertilizer run-off into lakes, rivers and the sea (MacBean 2007, 296). Deforestation is caused by the increasing demand for factory materials and construction, foreign loggings, and in search of fuel, wars, and land for farming. Now, it is noted that China’s forest coverage is below the world’s average (MacBean 2007). Despite the efforts of authorities towards sustainable development of forests and massive projects like tree planting, illegal logging continues and aggravates the situation and slows down recovery. Extensive deforestation leads to loss of diversity, soil erosion, and flooding. Meanwhile, loss of grasslands is attributed to conversion to irrigated rice cultivation and over cropping as well as rigorous grazing and technology-intensive cultivation for forage and fodder. According to reports coming from State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA), no improvements on this area are seen (Economy 2004, 65). On the case of soil erosion, this is linked with deforestation mainly by logging wherein trees are no longer present to support the land from eroding. Desertification is the condition caused by overgrazing and expansion of agricultural lands. Today, the spread of deserts is a problem in the country specifically on the northern part. The land, during desertification, is degraded in a significant speed. In particular, Beijing is threatened by the coming of the desert within a recordable distance of 200 miles (MacBean 2007). This is also related to other land conditions in several Chinese regions. It is considered that other land problems are interrelated with each other because a single condition leads to another (e.g. deforestation – soil erosion and desertification).
Like in any other developing country, the problem of waste management is related to the increasing industrial development, overpopulation, and indiscriminate human consumption. According to MacBean (2007), the growth of manufacturing industries including livestock production and textile and development of small and medium enterprises contribute to land pollution due to their wastes produced during and after their own processes. Industrial wastes when added to other types of pollutants such as untreated sewage and run-off of agricultural-related substances lead to other complications in all land, water, and air areas (Lu and Lo 2007). The development small and medium enterprises are also main contributors for land, water, and air pollution because they just dump their wastes unsystematically resulting to hazardous waste problems in the country leading to serious spill-over effects on health and general wellbeing of people. On the case of overpopulation and indiscriminate human consumption, these are considered as old tales yet hold basic reality on the continuous role of people on generating wastes and their inability to dispose it properly.
Water Pollution. There are large bodies of water surrounding China including rivers. Ironically, China is facing the problem of water scarcity (Wang et al. 2008) and probably the most intractable problem (MacBean 2007). The rivers in the country have some degree of contamination from various industrial wastes and other chemicals. The SEPA (2003) reports that the water quality in most rivers and seas in China remained the same as the past years but there are significant variations on increase and decrease in water quality. Pollution in Hai River, Liao River, and Huaihe River was alleviated but worsen in Songhuajiang River and the Pearl River. Water quality in South Sea stays the same as the previous years, Yellow Sea worsens, and Bohai Sea and East Sea improved then deteriorated again. The causes of water pollution in China are attributed to industrial development (Duan et al. 2008; Wang et al. 2008; MacBean 2007). With the same cause as land pollution, industrial development particularly on industries such as agriculture, brewing, paper, textiles and chemicals are pointed-out. This is because these industries uses large amounts of water for production processes including cooling as well as electric sources. Most of these industries do not have wastewater or hazardous waste treatment facilities and directly discharged into river systems (Wang et al. 2008). Water pollution in China is consequential to several public health concerns (Schmidt 2002). With the increasing perils of water pollution in China, the national government formulates and implements massive developmental projects addressing the immediate needs of the people and the whole country. Although there are some controversial aspects of every project (e.g. Three Gorges Dam), it is hoped that the problem will eventually reduced if not entirely resolved.
Air Pollution. Perhaps, air pollution is one of today’s most popular types of pollution that China is known worldwide. Air pollution is among the most vital consideration on the approval of Beijing as the official venue for Olympics this year (Brownell 2007). It is believed that the high energy-consuming industries generate majority of the industrial air pollution within China (Cole et al. 2005). Ramanathan and Crutzen (2001 cited in Lu and Lo 2007) identify the major air pollutant in the country namely, soot, dust, and sulfur dioxide that may possibly affect not only the whole Chinese regions but also its neighboring countries. The World Bank (2001, 26) has estimated that China has 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world and most of that fell in air pollution category. In Beijing for instance, cars are the main contributors of air pollution (MacBean 2007). MacBean further emphasize that “weakly enforced regulations, traffic congestion, poor quality fuel, badly maintained engines and large numbers of older cars that are unlikely to be scrapped will add carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and other pollutants such as particulates and carbon dioxide to local air pollution” (295). Aside from these, the presence of emissions is a major producer of particulates resulting to acid rains that threatens land resources such as forests and agricultural regions (Chan and Yao 2008; MacBean 2007). As general response to the problem of pollution in all areas, policy making is focused on the long-term solutions on the impending consequences like “a series of laws, regulations, and standards such as the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Prevention and Control of Atmospheric Pollution, the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (GB3095-1996) and the Emission Standards of Air Pollutants for Thermal Power Plants (GB13223-2003)” (Chan and Yao 2008, 3). Now, China and the rest of the world are facing the gargantuan challenge of global warming and its effects to all humanity.
Policy Options: the missing link
It is recognized and documented in a number of studies that China has its own laws and regulations and similarly affiliated to regional and international associations and agencies specifically on the aspect of environment protection. China signed and joined in 30 international environmental conventions (MacBean 2007) like the Basel Convention (hazardous wastes), the Montreal Protocol (protection of the ozone layer), the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, as well as the Kyoto Protocol. According to Wang and colleagues (2008), the environmental policy of the country is widely considered as a comparatively success in urban areas because it marked significant declines in urban pollution. However, it is also recognized that the difficulty in policy options is rooted on local, regional and national levels. Considering China as among the largest countries and communist republics, environmental policy is not effective and compliance with regulation is poor (MacBean 2007; Zeng and Eastin 2007). Thus, it is argued that there is a need for national efforts must be emphasized on further intensification of application of existing environmental laws and regulations in the country. The will of the central government must rule. It is also recommended that research and development (R&D) mechanisms are standardized and supported. Understanding the complex relationship between development and environmental conservation is crucial. The role of people particularly in terms of public involvement and personal discipline and awareness of the affecting conditions of the environment must be integrated in all information dissemination and media strategies. Protecting the environment is not only China’s concern. But with the significant contribution of China to global pollution problems, it is about time for the once branded “Sleeping Giant” to shut the light not to sleep but to work on improving the environment for the benefit of the future generations to come.
References
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