SS7G10
The student will discuss environmental
issues across South & East Asia.
a)
b)
Describe the causes and
effects of pollution on the
Yangtze and Ganges Rivers.
Describe the causes and
effects of air pollution and
flooding in India and China.
Essential question
We can send a shuttle into space, we
can build the [new] Delhi Metro. We can
detonate nuclear weapons. So why
can't we clean up our rivers?
—Rakesh Jaiswal, Founder of Eco Friends
He gave up working on his doctorate to fight for
the cause of restoring the Ganges River.
Ganges River
Ganges River
Ganges River
Yangtze River
Yangtze River
Yangtze River
Air pollution in India
• Many cities are being
choked by a cocktail of
dust and chemical
particles in the air. Every
day 1.5 billion people are
exposed to levels of air
pollution well over the
safety limits
recommended by the. Air
World Health
Organization pollution
actually shortens lives.
Three million people die
each year from poor air
quality.
Air pollution in China
One of the worst
cases of air pollution
took place in South
Asia during August
2002. A blanket of
pollutants nicknamed,
"the Brown Cloud"
smothered large parts
of the region, causing
severe problems for
the people there.
Asian Brown Cloud
• Extends over South, Southeast and East
Asia
• Haze hovers about 4 miles above the
surface of the earth & can travel halfway
around the globe in less than a week
• 75% of the cloud is man-made: forest
fires, inefficient cooking fuels
(woodstoves), factories, cars
Consequences
•
•
•
•
•
15% reduction of solar radiation
Altered monsoon patterns
Less rain in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
More rain and flooding in other areas
Reduction in photosynthesis (drop in
agricultural activity
• Damages plants
• Causes respiratory ailments
Effects on China
Beijing
Flooding in India
• The death toll from this
year’s monsoon has
already climbed past 800,
and now some 1.2 million
people have been
marooned and about 2
million more affected in
the impoverished state of
Bihar, where the Kosi
river has burst its banks,
breached safety
embankments and
submerged all roads
leading to the region.
Flooding in India
• India’s monsoon season,
which lasts from June to
September, brings rain
vital for the country’s
farmers but also massive
destruction. Floods,
mudslides, collapsing
houses and lightning
strikes kill hundreds of
people every year.
Flooding in China
Will the completion of the Three Gorges
Dam on the upper Yangtze River help with
flooding?
Pros and Cons of the Three Gorges Dam
• Will generate electricityclean & inexpensive
• A renewable energy
source
• Will control flooding
• Can store river water in
case of a drought
• Will improve
transportation
• Requires the flooding of
entire valleys & scenic
areas
• Disrupts natural seasonal
changes in the river
• Ecosystems can be
destroyed
• Natural flooding cleans
out silt
• The silt that washes
downstream provides
fertile soil
Facts about the Three Gorges Dam
“Future Wonder of the World”
• When completed it will be the largest
hydroelectric dam in the world
• Will be more than 1 mile long
• Will be almost 600 feet tall
• Will cost about 24 billion dollars
• 20 years construction time!!
More facts
• It required the relocation of over 1.5 million
people
• 13 full-sized cities were leveled by the people
who lived in them—brick by brick!!
• Over 1300 archaeological sites will be
submerged.
• It contributed to the extinction of the Yangtze
River dolphin.
• The weight of the dam & reservoir can actually
cause earthquakes.
• It took 15 days to fill the reservoir.