Environmental Issues in Asia

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Environmental Issues in Asia
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Air Pollution

• Asian Brown Cloud
• 2 mile deep brown haze
• Respiratory problems
• Climatic Changes
• Floods
• Acid rain
• Blocks Sunlight
• Destroys crops

• Causes
• Industrialization
• High population in Urban areas
• Burning wood and other biomass material
• Many areas lack electricity or other cleaner
  energy sources

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Asian Brown Cloud
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Air Pollution

• China is the worlds fastest growing economy no
  environmental regulation
• India has some 500,000 annual deaths from indoor
  air pollution

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Indias Environmental Concerns

• Indias 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.

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Indias 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

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Ganges River

• Indias 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

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Chinas 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 Chinas
  Sorrow.

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Chinas 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.

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Yangtze River

• Chinas 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)

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Yangtze River

• Three Gorges Dam
• Pros
• Provide millions with Hydroelectric power
• Control flooding in certain areas
• 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.