Environmental+Issues+Of+Asia

Click this link to see an Environmental Issues map of Asia.

In China, one of the largest Asian countries, pollution has taken a toll on their society. China's huge industrial power has scarred it's environment. Currently pollution that causes cancer is the leading cause of death in China. Air pollution alone is also a cause of hundreds of thousands of deaths, and nearly 500 million people lack clean drinking water. According to the European Union only 1 percent in 560 million city dwellers actually breathe air considered safe. “It is a very awkward situation for the country because our greatest achievement is also our biggest burden,” says Wang Jinnan, one of China’s leading environmental researchers. “There is pressure for change, but many people refuse to accept that we need a new approach so soon.” [] In Russia much harmful pollution has also occurred. According to an estimate only 15% of the urban population breathes air that's not harmful. As stated on [] "Of the 43.8 million tons of pollutants discharged into the open air in 1993, about 18,000 industrial enterprises generated an estimated 24.8 million tons, while vehicle emissions added 19 million tons." Also in Asian Russia, the heaviest air pollution is in Omsk and Novokuznetsk in southwestern Siberia, Irkutsk on Lake Baikal, the Noril'sk industrial center in northwestern Siberia, and Khabarovsk in the Far East. Levels of airborne sulfur, nitrogen, and lead remain high. Officials have identified many of Russia's rivers as carriers of waterborne diseases, epidemics of which were especially frequent in 1995. In July 1995, Moscow city health officials reported an outbreak of cholera-causing bacteria in the Moscow River. Officials have warned of increasing outbreaks of sewage-related diseases,including cholera, salmonella, typhoid fever, dysentery, and viral hepatitis. http://countrystudies.us/russia/25.htm India's main environmental issues include water pollution and sanitation and air pollution. 209 towns in India have partial sanitation plants, while there are only 8 towns with full sanitation plants out of India's 3,119 towns and cities. Russell Hopfenberg and David Pimentel [|HUMAN POPULATION NUMBERS AS A FUNCTION OF FOOD SUPPLY] oilcrash.com Also, 114 cities dump sewage and partially cremated bodies into the Ganges River, while millions depend on this river for washing, bathing, and source for drinking water. National Geographic Society. 1995. Water: A Story of Hope. Washington (DC): National Geographic Society In Indonesia the main environmental issues are deforestation and pollution. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that Indonesia is losing 1.87 million hectoacre of forest every year. The reason for the main part of the deforestation is clearing forests for palm oil plantations. Palm oil is now considered as a major source of income for Indonesia and more than 3.5 million people are working in this area. Also the rapid economic development has caused large amounts of sewage and industrial pollution. There is also more air pollution, traffic congestion, garbage management, and reliable water and waste water services that come along with the rapid urbanization. http://www.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/indonesia/environmental_problems_indonesia/