Environmental Issues Across Southern and

Eastern AsiaSS7G10 The student will discuss environmental issues across Southern and Eastern Asia

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

pollution and flooding in India and China

E. Q. How does pollution affect the Ganges

and Yangtze Rivers and the people who live near them?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snPdEl0Duoo

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Begins in Himalayan Mountains and flows 1600 miles through India into Bangladesh and the Bay of Bengal.

Provides water and transportation

Known as “Mother Ganges”

The Ganges River basin is one of the most fertile and densely populated in the world

Ganges River

Chemicals (farming, industry) wash into water every day.

Human (cremation) and animal waste (dead bodies) pollute the river

Sewage from nearby cities is dumped into the water

Ganges River Pollution

Discuss with a partner How does the pollution of the Ganges

effect the 400 million people that live nearby?

Think Pair Share

The poor rely on the Ganges River on a daily basis for bathing, washing, and cooking

the Ganges River is considered holy, and ritual bathing in its waters is practiced by an estimated 60,000 people per day

Cities along the Ganges have the highest rates of water-born diseases

It has been suggested that 80% of all illnesses in India and 1/3 of deaths can be attributed to water-borne diseases.

Ganges River pollution Continued

A woman with a skin disease rests near offerings and trash on the banks of the Ganges in Kanpur, India.

India created the 1985 Ganges Action Plan, to clean up the river Many sewer and water treatment plants

have been built along the river However, pollution remains a huge

problem today due to the growing population and run-off from industries and farms

Ganges River Pollution

April 14, 2013

Yangtze (Chang Jiang) River - China

China’s longest river, flows over 4000 miles to the East China Sea

Around 400 million people live in the area

River is used for industries, drinking, and irrigation

Yangtze River

The Yangtze River is being polluted by sewage, agricultural (nitrogen from fertilizers), and industrial waste (arsenic – poison!)

Many of the plant and fish species are dying and the Yangtze could become a dead river

High levels of nitrogen & phosphates lead to growth of blue-green algae – reduces oxygen & kills fish

People eat contaminated fish Pollution greatly affects the

cities’ water supply

Yangtze River Pollution

The government built the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River to provide hydroelectric power

The dam has altered the environment upstream by flooding populated areas and threatening plants & animals with extinction

The dam was built in an area prone to earthquakes (!)

Yangtze River Pollution

Solutions China is building water treatment plants to

remove pollutants from the water

China encourages cities to build landfills rather than dumping garbage into the river

The World Bank helps organize these programs

Summary: Cause and Effect Flow Map

Causes of Pollution on the

Ganges and Yangtze Rivers

Solutions for Pollution on the

Ganges and Yangtze Rivers

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-1371. To which does the Ganges flow after

it leaves India?A. ChinaB. PakistanC. AfghanistanD. Bangladesh

D. Bangladesh

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-1372. Where does the Ganges River flow

into the sea?A. Bay of BengalB. East China SeaC. Sea of JapanD. Yellow Sea

A. Bay of Bengal

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-1373. Which is true about the Ganges River?

A. The river is ignored by Indian religious rituals.B. People do not drink the water because it is so

polluted.C. Many people use the river for transportation

as well as a water supply.D. Plant and animal life have not been affected

by the poor quality of the river’s water.

C. Many people use the river for transportation as well as a water supply.

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-1374. How has India’s need to develop more industry

ended up creating problems along the Ganges River?

A. Factories along the river dump industrial waste and chemicals into the river every day.

B. No one is allowed to cremate dead bodies along the river since the large factories have been built.

C. Industries along the river use so much water that the Ganges is almost dry by the time it reaches the sea.

D. Factory owners have refused to allow the Indians living along the river to bathe in the water or use the water for cooking.

A. Factories along the river dump industrial waste and chemicals into the river every day.

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-1375. How has the Indian practice of cremating their

dead been a problem for the river?A. People are not allowed to go near the river when

cremations are taking place.B. The banks along the river regularly catch fire and

threaten Indian homes built there.C. Factory owners cannot use water once human ashes

have been thrown into it upstream.D. The bodies of dead animals, as well as the ashes of

human beings, have been placed in the water causing pollution.

D. The bodies of dead animals, as well as the ashes of human beings, have been placed in the water causing pollution.

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-1376. What was the purpose of the

Ganges Action Plan begun in the 1980s?

A. To try and clean up the riverB. To bring an end to the cremationsC. To end using the river for drinking

waterD. To slow down the building of new

factories

A. To try and clean up the river

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-1377. Why has the Indian government had such a hard

time making much progress in cleaning up the Ganges River?

A. Most people in India feel the river is not polluted so they are not worried about it.

B. The government of India has not made the cleaning up of the Ganges River one of its goals.

C. Few people have gotten sick from the water in the Ganges River, so it is hard to get money for clean-up operations.

D. India’s combination of growing population and run-off from farming makes it hard to see much progress in controlling pollution.

D. India’s combination of growing population and run-off from farming makes it hard to see much progress in controlling pollution.

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-1378. Why is the Yangtze River so important to

the population and economy of China?A. Water from the Yangtze River is used to

irrigate the Gobi Desert.B. The Yangtze River is the international border

between China and India.C. People can use the Yangtze River to get over

the Himalayan Mountains.D. It supplies millions of people with water for

drinking, irrigation, and industrial uses.

D. It supplies millions of people with water for drinking, irrigation, and industrial uses.

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-1379. Into what body of water does the

Yangtze flow?A. Indian OceanB. Bay of BengalC. East China SeaD. South China Sea

C. East China Sea

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-13710. What are some of the main causes of

high levels of nitrogen in the Yangtze River?

A. The waste is from nuclear power plants.B. The bodies of dead animals are thrown into

the river.C. The chemicals used in fields run into the

river.D. The exhaust fumes from the millions of cars

run into the river.

C. The chemicals used in fields run into the river.

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-13711. Which is one of the most common

industrial pollutants found in the Yangtze River?

A. ArsenicB. NitrogenC. Nuclear wasteD. Human sewage

A. Arsenic

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-13712. What has been the effect of the rapid

growth of algae in the Yangtze River?A. The oxygen levels in the water go down and

fish die.B. The river dolphins and porpoises can rely on

the algae as a food source.C. The Yangtze River can no longer be used for

shipping and transportation.D. The algae have provided a good source of

fertilizer for those who live along the river.

A. The oxygen levels in the water go down and fish die.

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-13713. Why did the Chinese government decide

to go ahead with the Three Gorges Dam project along the Yangtze River?

A. The dam would provide water for all of China’s desert areas.

B. China’s people needed a reliable source of hydroelectric power.

C. China needed to be able to store water because the Yangtze river often dried up in the summer.

D. Careful study showed there would be no environmental problems associated with the dam.

B. China’s people needed a reliable source of hydroelectric power.

CRCT Test Prep pages 134-13714. How would building sanitary landfills

along the Yangtze River help reduce pollution in the water?

A. The garbage could go into landfills instead of in the river.

B. The landfills would reduce the general need for more electricity.

C. The chemicals would no longer run into farmers’ fields and into the river.

D. All of the garbage would be recycled in landfills and there would be no waste.

A. The garbage could go into landfills instead of in the river.

India – Air Pollution The capital city of New Delhi is one of

the top 10 most polluted cities in the world.

Air Pollution Causes: Growing population, rapid growth of cities,

development of industry, & automobile emissions (main cause) are leading causes

The Asian Brown Cloud is a layer of air pollution that covers parts of India & looks like a brown stain

Caused by cooking over open fires Pollutes air inside homes also Brown cloud reduces rainfall and

temperatures Effects: Air pollution leads to high levels of

respiratory diseases (breathing) (some of highest rates in the world)

Solution?: Many poor people do not want to slow down economic growth, so government has problems enforcing pollution laws

Air Pollution in India

China: Air Pollution 2008 Olympics – held in Beijing, China The athletes were worried about the air

pollution in Beijing (caused by burning coal for fuel and the millions of cars and trucks)

The Chinese government set up the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau Task: clean up the air How: limit automobiles and temporarily close

factories Result: 45% reduction in air pollutants

China –Air Pollution Causes Fossil fuels:

Coal For industry and heating homes. Coal is cheap but pollutes the air.

Factories Vehicles

China - Effects of Air Pollution Up to 656,000 premature deaths

each year from respiratory and heart disease

Acid rain – causes crop damage Climate change Only 1% of people in cities breathe

safe air

International Concern World Bank leaders encourage countries to

clean up serious environmental problems quickly.

The long-term costs of pollution (cancer, heart disease, lung diseases, extinctions of plants and animals) are more expensive than the clean-up effort.

China and India have almost ½ the people on the planet; reducing their pollution will prevent many health problems.

Heavy rainfall in monsoon season Rivers overflow banks

Deforestation no trees to absorb water

Affects water supply by damaging sewage plants

Causes serious illnesses like malaria and cholera

Crops are destroyed causing huge financial losses

China & India - Flooding

Effects of Flooding – China/India Deaths [Worst Recorded Flood:

Huang He River, China, August 1931 (3,700,000 people)]

Homes/villages destroyed Possessions lost Fertile land washed away

Solutions Dams

Levees

Reservoirs

Summary: Cause and Effect Flow Map

Causes of Air Pollution

In India and China

Solutions for Air Pollution In India

And China

CRCT Test Prep pages 137-13915. When Beijing, China was awarded

the 2008 Olympics, which environmental issue was a big concern for many of the athletes?

A. The city’s air pollutionB. Lack of fresh drinking waterC. Temperatures would be too hot in the

summer in ChinaD. Heavy seasonal rains that come to

China in the summer

A. The city’s air pollution

CRCT Test Prep pages 137-13916. Which contributes to air pollution

problems in China?A. The shrinking populationB. Use of coal-burning power plants for

energyC. The gradual drop in the number of new

factoriesD. The lack of automobiles and trucks in

rural areas

B. Use of coal-burning power plants for energy

CRCT Test Prep pages 137-13917. Which is a leading cause of death in

China?A. Skin cancerB. Respiratory and heart diseaseC. Injuries from automobile accidentsD. Injuries related to factory accidents

B. Respiratory and heart disease

CRCT Test Prep pages 137-13918. What was the job of the Beijing

Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau in the months before the 2008 Olympics?

A. Improve the city’s air qualityB. Work to end the pollution in the

countrysideC. Begin building dams to provide fresh

drinking water for the athletesD. Keep all cars and buses out of Beijing

while the Olympics were in progress

A. Improve the city’s air quality

CRCT Test Prep pages 137-13919. Why is acid rain dangerous to the

environment?A. May cause chemical firesB. Can harm plants and animalsC. Often leads to massive floodingD. Causes an increase in air temperature

B. Can harm plants and animals

CRCT Test Prep pages 137-13920. What economic argument does the World Bank

make to urge countries to do whatever they need to do to clean up serious environmental problems quickly?

A. Health problems disappear very quickly once pollution problems are solved.

B. The process of cleaning up serious environmental problems is usually very easy to do.

C. Most serious pollution problems can be taken care of without spending a lot of money.

D. The long-term costs of pollution are often more expensive than the clean-up effort would be.

D. The long-term costs of pollution are often more expensive than the clean-up effort would be.

Choose 1: ½ page: Why is it important for people

living in the United States to be concerned about water and air pollution that occurs in China and India?

Write a half page summary about the environmental concerns of Southern and Eastern Asia.

Written Assessment