Transcript Pollution in Asia

Environmental Issues in Asia
Air Pollution
 Asian Brown Cloud
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2 mile deep brown haze
Respiratory problems
Climatic Changes
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Floods
 Acid rain
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 Causes:
Blocks Sunlight
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Destroys crops
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Industrialization
High population in Urban
areas
Burning wood and other
biomass material
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Many areas lack electricity
or other cleaner energy
sources
Asian Brown Cloud
Air Pollution
China is the world’s fastest growing economy no
environmental regulation
India has some 500,000 annual deaths from indoor
air pollution
India’s Environmental Concerns
 India’s main environmental concern-overpopulation.
 Such a large number of people will put a strain on
groundwater supplies.
 More water is needed to irrigate crops to keep up with the
food supply.
 If artificial fertilizers are used on crops, then drinking water
may be affected.
India’s Environmental Concerns
 Rivers such as the Ganges and groundwater are also
toxic waste from industry.
 Industry and vehicles pollute the air.
 India has many small industrial workshops.
 It is difficult for the government to enforce laws to
improve air and water pollution
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
China’s Environmental Issues
 Feeding the Chinese people is a huge task.
 Much of the food production occurs on the North China
Plain.
 The fertility of this plain is mostly because of the Huang He
(Yellow River).
 The Huang He used to regularly flood over its banks, often
destroying crops.
 This river is sometimes referred to as “China’s Sorrow.”
China’s Population
 To handle the population problem in China, the
government instituted a one-child-per-family policy
in 1979.
 Couples that have only one child receive economic
and educational benefits, while in cities, couples that
have more than one child pay fines.
 This population control policy has not been as
successful as was hoped.
 Many Chinese babies are put up for adoption.
Yangtze River
 China’s longest river
- 4,000 miles from the Northwest regions to the East China
Sea
 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
 Three Gorges Dam
 Pros:
Provide millions with Hydroelectric power
 Control flooding in certain areas
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Cons:
Many plants and animals living near the river may face extinction
 Built on an area prone to Earthquakes!
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Summarize…
 Describe the causes and effects of air pollution and
flooding in India and China.
 Describe the causes and effects of pollution on the
Yangtze and Ganges Rivers.