Submitted By: Steve Rodger

According to the Chinese government, environmental pollution cost China US$64 billion in economic losses in 2004. This means that environmental degradation and pollution cost the Chinese economy the equivalent of 8-12 percent of GDP annually. With expected rises in China’s population (despite the one-child per person law), these problems are only expected to get worse. China’s growth is only causing additional shortages of their water (China From the Inside). The government should look towards sustainable development programs (China: Sustainable Development Gets Priority) to help alleviate their countries severe desertification, droughts, and marine pollution. In a nutshell, China does not have enough water to support the exponential economic growth it aspires to.

Water and waste pollution is the number one problem facing China, according to hydrologists and government officers. Rural and poor farmers are the people suffering the most. So what is the solution?

Raising water prices would cause some to conserve water, but prices are already high enough to make rural farm workers conserve. Currently billions are being invested in sewage treatment plants, which will help to treat foul H20. Additionally, China is looking for foreign solutions (China Taps Into Foreign Water Solutions) to solve their water crisis. There will be no one solution to this immense problem. Rather many small scale solutions will ultimately help to alleviate China’s water crisis. Moreover, there comes an immense business opportunity attached to their water solution.