Project Scope and Relationship to China's Agenda 21

This project seeks to establish an environmental treatment project in Northern Jiangsu on the basis of scientific research, and make this a demonstration project for environmental water treatment in East China. It is based on programme area 14C of China's Agenda 21 - Protection and Utilization of Water Resources.

1. Background

Jiangsu Province is an open economic zone located on China's eastern coast. It has a dense population, a developed economy, and serious pollution problems. The area of Jiangsu province is only 1% of the country, but the population is 6%, while the GNP (Gross National Product) is 12%, and total revenue is 10%. The population of Northern Jiangsu is 4.5 million, and land area is 70,000 km2, which is about 70% of the whole province. It is undoubtedly Northern Jiangsu, including the 6 cities of Lianyungang, Xuzhou, Huaiyin, Yancheng, Yangzhou and Nantong, that has great potential for developing its economy.

As the Grand Canal and the Tongyu Canal both flow through Northern Jiangsu from north to south, and proposed railways and highways also run through it, a complete water-land-air transportation system is currently being established. With rapid development of the Asia-Pacific region and China's eastern coast, the dream of prosperity in Northern Jiangsu will soon come true.

However, there are environmental constraints to growth. Public facilities in the central cities are inadequate and water in most towns has been polluted. The waterway network supplies water for millions of people in Northern Jiangsu, and is the pathway of transporting water from southern to northern region. Once that water is polluted, millions of people will be in danger. It is therefore urgent for Northern Jiangsu to protect its water supplies to keep the economy developing rapidly and continuously.

Furthermore, beach ecosystems are very fragile, and the wildlife resources are abundant. For example, migratory birds living in the beach number 200 species. So it is very important that the ecological engineering should purify sewage while preserving the environment from pollution. It should protect wild organisms while reconstructing the landscape and also should remove pollution loading at a low cost while producing various bioproducts.

In 1992, the Jiangshu Environmental Protection Bureau (EPB) set up research programs on water quality in Northern Jiangsu. The strategic plan proposed by Nanjing University is to build northern, middle, and southern open sewage canals to gather most sewage from cities and towns in Northern Jiangsu, and transport it to the beach of the Yellow Sea, where a large beach ecological engineering will be constructed to convert water into bioproducts, and improve the beach environment. As the sewage from towns reaches the Yangtze River, it will be treated, then discharged into the river.

This proposal has gained acknowledgement and support from the Jiangsu EPB and each local EPB in Northern Jiangsu, and was highly praised by Mr. Ji Chaozhu, the Under Secretary General of the United Nations, and Prof. Qu Geping, the Chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee of the National People's Congress.

2. Objectives

• Long-term Objectives
  • Establish an environmental treatment project in Northern Jiangsu on the basis of scientific research, and make this a demonstration project for environmental water treatment in East China.

• Immediate Objectives
  • Establish northern, middle, and southern sewage canal networks in Northern Jiangsu. Design sewage transportation loading of the system of 3 million tons per day during the initial period and 5 million tons per day during the subsequent period.
  • Construct northern, middle, and southern ecological engineering on the beach. In the initial period, 100 km2 of beaches will be used as treatment areas and the treatment capacity will be 3 million tons per day. Then the treatment capacity will reach 5 million tons per day and 200 km2 of beaches will be used.
  • Construct projects for sewage collection and sludge disposal in cities and towns in Northern Jiangsu.
  • Construct projects for discharging sewage directly into the Yangtze River in Yangzhou and Nantong.
  • Present plans for treating poisonous and non-degradable pollutants.
  • Complete fundamental research, feasibility analysis, proposal comparison and decisions, engineering design and demonstration of all the projects mentioned above.

3. Activities

• 3.1 Determine the strategy and plan for environmental water treatment project in Northern Jiangsu.
  • Predict the economic development potential and the industrial layout of Northern Jiangsu.
  • Analyze the environmental capacity of Northern Jiangsu.
  • determine a strategy for water environmental treatment in Northern Jiangsu.

  The duration of this activity will be one and half years.

• 3.2 Study the pre-treatment methods of poisonous and non-degradable pollutants.
  • List poisonous and non-degradable pollutants and set the standards for discharging sewage into the canal network
  • Present plans to control and treat poisonous and non-degradable pollutants discharged from point sources in every city and town.

  The duration of this activity will be one and half years.

• 3.3 Establish urban sewage collection and sludge disposal dam.
  • Make a systematic plan for urban sewage canals.
  • Map out sludge disposal and utilization plan.

  The duration of this activity will be one year.

• 3.4 Conduct sewage canal network study project.
  • Make a layout plan of the main sewage canals.
  • Study the capacity of sewage self-purification in open canals.
  • Assess the impacts of sewage canals on underground water quality and control techniques.
  • Assess the impacts of the sewage canals on the bank environment and control techniques.
  • Formulate a plan for sewage canal separation from clean rivers

  The duration of this activity will be three and half years.

• 3.5 Conduct a study on beach ecological engineering.
  • Select the project site.
  • Study the technological processes of sewage treatment.
  • Study the techniques of developing and utilizing bioproducts in ecological engineering.
  • Study the relationship of the project with beach biological diversity.
  • Study the social, economic and ecological benefits of the project.
  • Investigate the marine biological diversity of the Yellow Sea in effluent areas.
  • Study water quality criterion for sensitive species in the Yellow Sea.
  • Simulate the concentration fields in effluent areas.

  The duration of this activity will be three and half years.

• 3.6 Study the project of discharging urban sewage into the Yangtze River.
  • Investigate aquatic biological resources and study water quality criterion for sensitive species in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
  • Investigate the impact of the sewage disposal project of Nanjing and Zhenjiang on aquatic organisms in the Yangtze River.
  • study the pollutant load capacity of the Yangtze River.
  • Research pretreatment methods for urban sewage and the standards for connecting sewage pipes.
  • Select a site for drainage pipes and simulation of concentration fields.

  The duration of this activity will be four years.

• 3.7 Construct environmental water treatment project in Northern Jiangsu, including all the items listed in the objectives of this programme.

  The duration of this activity will be three and half years.

• 3.8 Research the management systems of the environmental water treatment project in Northern Jiangsu.
  • Establish a series of regulations for the areas of environmental assessment on newly-built and rebuilt works, charges for environmental construction, effluent charges, raising and using funds for capital construction and operation of the project, canal network preservation and engineering management.

  The duration of this activity will be one and half years.

  This project implementing agency will be the Jiangsu Environmental Protection Bureau.

5. Benefits

Beach resources will be utilized to build a large engineering project, which will not only complete the strategic goals of removing most of the pollution load on the beach, but will also produce ecological and economic benefits. The sewage canal network will collect and transport urban sewage away so as to protect water quality. It will not only be important for economic development, but also improve the investment environment and increase economic development in the region. The environmental water treatment project in Northern Jiangsu will provide new experiences and models for protection of water resources in China, and will also set a new precedent for the protection of water resources in developing countries.