Southern and Eastern Asia Environmental Issues

Water Pollution The causes and effects of pollution on the Yangtze and Ganges Rivers

The Ganges River - India Source is high in the Himalayan Mountains Flows 1600 miles through India and Bangladesh Empties into the Bay of Bengal Over 400 million people live in its river valley Provides water and transportation “Mother Ganges”

Ganges River India’s most sacred river Used for funeral rites Cremated bodies (not) cremated bodies Used by millions for drinking and bathing Poor sewage systems drain directly into the river Ganges Action Plan 1985 Water treatment plans attempting to clean-up the river

Ganges River Pollution

Ganges Action Plan Program started in 1985 to clean up the river Many sewage and water treatment plants have been built along the river Challenges to the clean up efforts: Growing population Run-off from industries and farm production Chemical fertilizers Animal fertilizers

Quality of Water Chemicals used in fertilizer and industry wash into the river every day Human and animal waste Bodies of dead animals Cremated remains of humans Still, people use river for bathing, drinking, and cooking

Ganges River Pollution India

Cities along the Ganges Highest rates of water-born diseases of any who live in India Pour millions of gallons of sewage into the river which is then carried to other cities and villages farther south. Outbreaks of many diseases are common

The Yangtze River China’s longest river 4000 miles from the NW part of the the country to the East China Sea Pumping stations take water out to supply people with water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial uses Millions of gallons of sewage, chemicals from agricultural and industrial wastes are dumped into the river every day Nitrogen and arsenic are leading pollutants

Yangtze Pollutions Many species of plants and animals are disappearing High levels of nitrogen and phosphates lead to growth of blue-green algae This reduces oxygen in the water causing fish to die These fish are caught and eaten leading to human health problems

Yangtze River China’s longest river - 4,000 miles from the Northwest regions to the East China Sea Passes through over 185 towns and villages (400 million people) Poor sewage drains millions of gallons into the river Fertilizer run-off into the river Millions of people use the river to catch fish (most have been contaminated by factory chemicals)

Yangtze River Pollution - China

Three Gorges Dam You Tube Video: Three Gorges Dam

Improvements China building more water treatment facilities Encouraging cities along river to build sanitary landfills for garbage rather than dumping in the river International organizations like the World Bank have worked with China on these programs

India’s Air Pollution One of India’s most serious environmental issues Due to enormous and growing population and rapid growth of cities and development of industry and number of automobiles and trucks Some of the highest rates of respiratory diseases in the world Difficult for Indian government to enforce laws on industry and transportation that might improve air

Air Pollution Rural areas have pollution due to material used in homes (wood, animal dung, coal, etc.) India has some 500,000 annual deaths from indoor air pollution Can form “brown clouds” which can reduce rainfall and temperatures

Air Pollution India

Air Pollution in China Many cities in China have growing populations and industries China is the world’s fastest growing economy—with no environmental regulation Leading cause of death are respiratory and heart disease that can be tied to long exposure to air pollution The burning of coal provides much of China’s energy Leads to the release of soot, ash, and chemicals into the air Air pollution also contributes to acid rain

Air Pollution China

Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau (set up before the 2008 Olympics; athletes were concerned) Works on improving the quality of the city’s air Automobile traffic was reduced and many factories were closed for a period of time Arguments from the World Bank to encourage the government to enforce these laws: Cost of health care far outweighs the economic profits from activities that contribute to air pollution

Flooding in India Monsoon winds bring heavy amounts of seasonal rainfall. Because the rain continues for months the ground becomes saturated and mudslides occur. Standing water in flooded streets breeds mosquitoes. Diseases spread by them, such as malaria, spread quickly.

Flooding India

Flooding in China The Yangtze River has flooded more than 1000 times but the Yellow River is responsible for the most catastrophic floods. The Yellow River has killed more people than any other river in the world – called “River of Sorrow” People have tried to control the river with levees and drainage ditches When the levees were built, more sediment accumulated in the river, causing more flooding

Yellow River – China Flooding The 1887 Yellow River flood was a devastating flood on the Yellow River (Huang He) in China. This river is prone to flooding due to the elevated nature of the river, running between dams above the broad plains surrounding it. The flood that began in September 1887 inundated the area, killing some 900,000 people. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters ever recorded.

Yellow River Flooding in History The 1938 Yellow River flood was created by the Nationalist Government in central China in an attempt to stop the advance of Japanese forces. They opened the dikes (dam like structures), It has been called the "largest act of environmental warfare in history,“ An estimate of 800,000 were drowned. The floods covered and destroyed thousands of square kilometers of farmland and shifted the mouth of the Yellow River hundreds of miles to the south.

Flooding China