Whenever there is a discussion about environmental issues in Shanghai, the first thing that comes to mind is the ongoing problem of air pollution. For most of the people it is the most concerning environmental problem, as it is a constant topic of debate. Social media places a heavy emphasises on this particular problem, both internationally and domestically. People need to realise that there are also other environmental problems that should be taken into equal consideration. Most specifically: water pollution in Shanghai. The issue of water pollution was not a prevalent topic of conversation until 16,000 putrefying pigs were taken out from Shanghai’s Huangpu River in 2013. The source of the pig carcasses is still a subject of speculation. The local authorities, however, deny that the incident was caused by water pollution due to the absence of chemical plants nearby. Many attribute the incident’s occurrence to the improper implementation of Chinese law, particularly the provisions that state farmers must take caracasses of dead livestock to community disposal cite. Unfortunately, many failed to do so. Shanghai’s ideal geographical location has allowed the city to become one of the country’s social and economic hubs. Nonetheless, the growing economic development and increasing population growth has lead to severe water pollution problems. Large amounts of untreated wastewater are being discharged into the rivers and other watercourses. The city’s main source of tap water is the Huangpu River, the same place where most of the sewage is dumped. In order to cope with this problem, fairly significant amounts of chlorine are used to decrease the high levels of bacteria caused by improper dumping of sewage and other biological contamination. In doing so, the process of chlorination leaves the tap water unsuitable for drinking. Even boiling water does not help as it is unable to remove the heavy metal content present in the water. Meaning, drinking the city’s water can be highly hazardous to one’s health. The environmental impacts of water pollution are a matter of great concern. Water pollution not only results in the death of aquatic animals but also harms the species that are dependent on those water bodies (ie.humans). Pollution disrupts the natural food chain. When pollutants such as lead and cadmium are consumed by tiny animals and those animals are consumed by larger fish and shellfish, eventually humans consume the harmful materials. Human health is also affected as people are dependent on water sources like the Huangpu River for daily consumption. A heavy screening process is done to ensure that there is clean drinking water, however, often situations can turn for the worse. Dirty water leads to an increase in waterborne diseases such as cholera and tuberculosis. In addition, there are also some financial constraints related to water polluted bodies. As the water pollution increase so does the bill to purify the water. It also costs fisheries to lose revenues. And in places where water activities or sports are famous, a significant amount of capital is spent removing algae blooms from the water. Animals are the first affected by water pollution. This can be explained by the fact that a number of species in the Huangpu River are at the brink of extinction because of pollution. One of the species that has gone extinct is the Yangtze River Dolphin also known as baiji. This species of dolphins had a natural habitat in the Yangtze River that stretches from the Three Gorges Dam to the Huangpu River in Shanghai. Due to rapid industrialisation and marine dumping, the number of the species decreased over the passage of time and the last sighting of the dolphin was confirmed in 2004. It is a great tragedy and pity for the upcoming generations as they will only learn about this dolphin in their science or history books and will never grasp the opportunity to physically witness its existence. The government and the local authorities in Shanghai should focus on raising awareness of the importance of preserving the environment in order to prevent such tragedies from happening. My suggestion would be hosting environmental campaigns and workshops on weekly and monthly basis. The government should allocate more capital towards environmental protection. That is how the government and the authorities can inculcate a sense of preservation and community. Ultimately, making Shanghai a better and more sustainable place to live. Sources: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9978239/Hundreds-of-dead-fish-http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0808-baiji.htmlhttp://www.envir.gov.cn/wp/wp6-5.aspThis article was written by Haider Ali. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Kamal Zharif Kamaludin on Flickr