2. South of Yellow River (Huang He) Three Gorges Dam built on the Yangtze
Important Facts
Longest river in China
4000 miles long
Ends in East China Sea
South of Yellow River (Huang He)
Three Gorges Dam built on the Yangtze

3. Where is the Yangtze River?

4. The Yangtze has many uses Importance to China
Transportation of people and goods
It’s used for drinking water and cooking
Industrial use
Irrigation for farming

5. What are the issues?(Causes)
90% of the water is polluted
Arsenic from industrial waste
Sewage from the cities is dumped into the river
Nitrogen from fertilizers used in farming is washed into the river as run-off
Photo Credit: Flickr

6. Plants and animals are becoming extinct. (Effects)
In December 2006, the Yangtze River Dolphin, called the baiji (pronounced ‘bye gee’) was declared functionally extinct
High levels of nitrogen and phosphates lead to the growth of blue-green algae. This reduces oxygen and cause fish to die.
Qi Qi - Yangtze River Dolphin. Photo Courtesy of Robert Pitman

7. Effects-Pollution is poison
Contaminated fish are being caught and eaten by the Chinese people leading to health problems.
185 towns are located on the river.
400 million people live there

8. City on the Yangtze

9. Farming on the Yangtze

10. Three Gorges Dam
Learn more: The Three Gorges Dam
Pros
Direct reduction of air pollutant and greenhouse gas emission
hydroelectric power would offset the burning of coal which causes air pollution.
Boosts China's economy through an increase of international shipping

11. Three Gorges Dam
Cons
forced relocation of more than 1 million people by the 2009 completion date.
Flood over 300 local villages
Some of the best farmland in the Yangtze River valley was flooded.
A strain on China's financial resources. China reports the official cost of the dam at $37 billion
(According to Reuters)

12. Mother Ganges

13. Where is the Ganges?

15. The Ganges River is Important
Provides water for drinking and cooking
Transportation for 400 million people
Spiritually important to Hindu people

16. What is causing problems?
Water Pollution!
Chemicals from fertilizer
Industrial runoff
Dead animals and cremated bodies float down river

17. Polluted water is causing health problems.
High rates of waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid and hepatitis are common in surrounding cities

18. India

19. Image of air pollution over Bangladesh and India

20. Air Pollution
This is one of India’s most serious environmental problems.
Caused by:
Industrial smoke
Automobile emissions is responsible for 70% of the pollution
Rural villages burn wood and coal for cooking and heating releasing carbon monoxide and soot into the air.

21. New Delhi, India

22. Effects of Polluted Air
The effects of air pollution are:
Several major cities have the world’s highest rates of respiratory disease (disease of the lungs, bronchial tubes, and trachea)
Brown clouds form which reduce rainfall and temperatures
Many parts of India has the heaviest air pollution in the world

23. Urban population growth Increase in cars and trucks
Industrial Growth
Urban population growth
Increase in cars and trucks
Industrial smoke
Car emissions
Respiratory disease

24. Government Response
Many people in India are poor. The government does not want to do anything to slow down economic growth, so it has been difficult for them to enforce laws on industry and transportation that might improve the country’s air quality.

25. Air Pollution In China

26. Why are 7 of the 10 most polluted cities in China?
Industrial growth led to population growth and automobile use in the cities.
China burns coal for energy and this process sends soot, ash, and chemicals into the air.
Shanghai, China

27. Going for a ride in Lifen, China

28. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the air mix with moisture.
The rain it produces contain sulfuric acid and nitric acid
The rain is harmful to plants, animals, and buildings. It’s a problem for 1/3 of China’s agricultural areas

29. Cleanup Effort
Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau reduced pollution by 45% before 2008 Olympics by reducing automobile traffic and temporarily closing factories.
These cleanup efforts cost the government less than the expense of treating health problems associated with air pollution (According to World Bank).