Pollution Control International Experiences

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Pollution ControlInternational Experiences
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International Experiences

• Input to the study Water Pollution Control in
  China by Laszlo Somlyody and Erik Borset
• Discussion partners to our Chinese colleagues.
• As heard in the previous presentation, China is
  taking significant steps to strengthen and
  modernise its water pollution policy.
• Lessons might be learned from other countries,
  which has been trough this process before.

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General message

• Do not underestimate institutional and
  bureaucratic restrain to changes and transfer
  of responsibilities.
• Make gradual changes in particular if several
  conditions are changing at the same time.

• However. China is unique.
• History shows that China is able to make
  dramatic changes are take actions unheard-of in
  other countries.
• The efficient implementation of the Close Down
  Policy is on example.

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Presentation

• Many relevant issues and themes can be raised
  (and is included in our contribution to the
  Study).
• This presentation comments on

• Integrated Water Resources Management
• Municipal Waste Water Treatment
• Agricultural Pollution

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IWRM
General consensus about the rationality of a
management structure that

• co-ordinates management of water quality and
  quantity, and
• manage the river-basin as one unit.

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IWRM
However, few countries have been able to manage
water according to these principles. Main
problems are

• Water Quantity (Resources) Management is a
  traditionally strong sector, whereas Water
  Quality (Environmental) Management is relatively
  new.
• River basins do not fit within existing
  administrative borders.

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IWRM
Start at a realistic level of IWRM at central
level and at river basin level

• An advisory body?
• A coordination body?
• An authority?

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Municipal Waste Water Treatment
Three important elements

• Ambitious plans for increasing the capacity of
  MWWT
• Independent and self financed utilities
• Invitation of private investors (BOT)

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Municipal Waste Water Treatment
A flexible approach is needed in technical
planning.

• The development of industrial structure,
  urbanisation, water price, etc. might have
  strong impacts of inflow water volume and
  quality.
• The inflow volume should determine the size of
  treatments plants and collector systems.
• The choice of treatment process should be based
  on knowledge of the concentration of pollutants
  in the inflow water.

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Municipal Waste Water Treatment

• The ruling trend is to organise WWTP as
  independent economic units. Often with municipal
  or city ownership.
• However, social concerns, and traditions, often
  make budget subsidies necessary.
• The potential for private ownership or operation
  is in many cases limited due to the low profit
  margin in this sector.
• The necessary paperwork is often an obstacle
  for BOT arrangements.

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Agriculture Pollution

• The increasing eutrophication problems in Chinese
  water bodies, has resulted in a focus on
  agricultural pollution.
• Pig and chicken farms are of particular concern
  and can be managed using the same principles as
  other pollution point sources.
• More difficult is the control of nutrients (N and
  P) from agricultural land.

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Agriculture Pollution

• Countries all over the world are struggling to
  fine efficient means and actions to control
  agriculture non-point source pollution
• There is problems of identifying the sinners
  and to find policy enforcement measures for
  dealing with many thousands/millions of polluting
  units.
• The general conclusion is that agriculture is one
  of the most difficult sector to control.

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Agriculture Pollution
First actions

• Take away subsidies on fertilisers.
• Launce information campaigns and promote best
  environmental practise in agriculture.
• Give restrictions on certain production in
  certain basins or zones.
• Establish a monitoring system to document the
  contribution of the different non-point sources.

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Thank you for the attention