Environmental Issues in Asia

Essential QuestionHow are humans responsible for their

environment?

StandardsSS7G10 The student will discuss environmental issues across

Southern and Eastern Asia. a. Describe the causes and effects of pollution on the Yangtze and

Ganges Rivers. b. Describe the causes and effects of air pollution and flooding in

India and China.

a. Describe the causes and effects of pollution on the Yangtze and Ganges Rivers

YANGTZE RIVERMore than 7% of the world’s population or400 million people live alongthe banks of the YangtzeRiverBillions of tons of chemicals and waste from

agriculture, industry, and people pour into the river every year.

Because of the river’s vast size, the pollution is somewhat diluted.

Nevertheless, the nitrates from farm runoff enable algae to multiply, decreasing oxygen that fish need to survive.

Pollution has killed the smaller fish in the river and harmed the larger ones, so that many people are afraid to eat any fish caught there.

Hundreds of millions of Chinese villagers do not have safe drinking water because water sources like lakes, rivers, and aquifers have been polluted by industry.

Cities have also been affected. When water quality is tested and water is too polluted to drink, city residents drink bottled water. Schools sometimes close because there is no clean water for students.

Ganges River Pollutionthe Ganges River is highly polluted with

dangerous bacteriaabout 300 million gallons of untreated

sewage, trash, and food are poured into the Ganges dailyexperts estimate that about 80% of all

illnesses and 1/3 of all deaths in India come from diseases carried by dirty water

Hindus believe that they will have a peaceful journey to the next life if their ashes are strewn in the Ganges River.

Families who cannot afford that process often place the body of their family member in the river instead.

Animal carcasses are deposited there as well, adding to an already dangerous situation.

Many of India’s sewage systems are simply overwhelmed since they were designed in the early 1900s and haven’t been updated, even though the population in India has soared over the last century.

b. Describe the causes and effects of air pollution and flooding in India and

China

Hold your breath!Industry is growing in China, and air

pollution is growing with it.In a recent study by the World Bank, China is

home to 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that China pumps 1/3 of the world total of pollutants (sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen dioxide) into the world’s air.

Burning fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum to power Chinese industry and cars is a major source of pollution.

Chinese people also burn coal to heat their homes, adding to the pollution problem.

A vendor delivers coal briquettes which are mostly used to fuel small coal burners for heating and cooking for low-income homes and restaurants, in an old neighborhood in Beijing.

Causes of PollutionMany nations in South, Southeast, and East

Asia will now have to worry about the “Asian Brown Cloud” caused by too much pollution in the air.*causes: waste from factories, motor vehicles, forest fires, etc.

.

Effects of air pollution:lost work due to illnessearly deathschronic bronchitiscancer is leading cause of death in Chinaonly 1% of China’s 560 million city dwellers

breathes safe air

Effects of Pollution* It is a brown haze that can alter the paths of

monsoons, reduce photosynthesis, and reduce solar radiation to the earth’s surface.

India is investing money in cleanup efforts but the growing population outpaces its efforts.

The Taj Mahal, a sacred site and popular tourist destination, is growing yellow from pollution.

Some experts believe that smog from India and China could possibly change weather patterns in North America.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!Monsoon—a seasonal wind bringing heavy

rainfall that can lead to floodingMonsoons are a mixed blessing for India

Farmers depend on rain for their cropsThe huge amounts of water are used to

generate electricityCause heavy flooding which makes rivers

overflow their banks Destruction Water-borne diseases

Annual monsoon rains in China pose the same problems as the rains in IndiaBeneficial to farmersCause floods, usually every 2 to 3 yearsMonsoon season in China is March through

AugustFlooding from China’s Huang He has killed

more people than flooding from any other river in the world 1887—nearly 2 million died 1931—almost 4 million died

Huang He River flows through China’s major farming area and picks up fertile yellow topsoil along its path. The silt builds up so that the river is higher than the surrounding plains. The Chinese have constructed dikes to manage the river. However, when the dikes fail and the river floods, homes and crops are buried and lives are lost.

Dike – a dike is a wall to hold water back

Monsoon rains also swell the Yangtze River.Loggers working upstream cut down trees that

used to help contain flooding (deforestation!)Farmers downstream have drained wetlands

that used to act as sponges during floods (wetland loss)

These two actions have multiplied the effects of the monsoon rains and cause storm water runoff.

It now takes much less water to cause a flood!