Songhua River Chemical Disaster
I’ve been thinking a lot recently about water pollution in China. The recent explosion at Jilin Petrochina that sent 100 tons of benzene flowing down the Songhua River was horrifying. The pollution traveled through the massive city of Harbin and is now approaching Russia’s Amur River and the city of Khabarovsk. Friends in Khabarovsk say they are just hoping that the river will freeze more quickly than expected, potentially trapping the benzene in ice before it reaches the city. Check out our statement regarding the Harbin crisis here.
The statistics about China’s pollution are staggering: Sixteen of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in China. More than a quarter of China’s population lacks access to clean drinking water. Seventy percent of China’s rivers and lakes are considered to be polluted. Earlier this year, villagers rioted over water pollution, and such protests are becoming more and more common.
But there are hopeful signs. China’s central government has recognized that environmental degradation is becoming a barrier to economic prosperity. China’s government is becoming more open to civil society organizations, as the government realizes that it cannot solve these challenges itself. Environmental groups in China can play a vital role in helping villagers work with the government and companies to mandate enforceable pollution norms, gain just compensation, and close down the most egregiously polluting factories.
In short, we can’t ignore China’s pollution issues. What we can do is help local community groups in China have more of an impact in preventing the pollution from happening.
Cheers,
David Gordon
(Executive Director)
Tags: Water
