Pathway, Technology, and Strategy for Synergizing the Reduction of Pollution and Carbon Emissions in China's Watersheds
Yajie Zhang , Shouliang Huo , Fengchang Wu
Strategic Study of CAE ›› 2022, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (5) : 41 -48.
Pathway, Technology, and Strategy for Synergizing the Reduction of Pollution and Carbon Emissions in China's Watersheds
China's eco-environmental protection enters a new stage of synergizing the reduction of pollution and carbon emissions during the 14th Five-Year Plan period. Watershed bears heavy loads from economic and social development and emits a large amount of greenhouse gases and pollutants. Therefore, synergizing the reduction of pollution and carbon emissions on a watershed scale becomes an issue of concern. This study expounds on the synergistic mechanism for the reduction of greenhouse gases and pollutants, categorizes the ecosystem of a watershed into artificial and natural ecosystems, and proposes the main pathways and key technologies for these ecosystems. Using the Yellow River basin and the Yangtze River basin as examples, specific applications of the key technologies are summarized. Negative emissions technology, agricultural non-point source pollution control technology, and water eutrophication remediation technology should be further developed. Furthermore, three countermeasures are proposed: (1) refining the water ecological environment protection standards and establishing a risk prevention and control system; (2) establishing a comprehensive treatment system for pollution and greenhouse gas emission sources to improve the watershed management and control mechanism; and (3) increasing investment in science and technology and participating in international cooperation on climate change.
减污降碳 / 协同 / 流域 / 温室气体 / 污染物 / 负排放技术 / reduction of pollution and carbon emissions / synergization / watershed / greenhouse gas / pollutant / negative emissions technology
| Suggestions for future development | Industrial structure, energy intensity, and energy structure are important factors driving the reduction of carbon emissions for the provinces and autonomous regions in this watershed. The green and low-carbon transformation of the industrial sector should be emphasized. For example, the upstream of the watershed has obvious advantages in clean energy development and can drive the optimization of the energy structure of the entire watershed by policy plans such as “west–east gas transmission” and “west–east electricity transportation” [29]. The synergistic benefits of carbon emission reduction and air pollutant control in the watershed are increasing annually. It is worth continuously upgrading the industrial structure, developing modern service industries and high-tech industries, and strictly implementing the industrial environmental access system [30]. Different carbon control pathways should be designed according to the development status of different provinces and regions: Shandong and Henan should increase investment in green technologies, especially oxyfuel technology; Gansu, Qinghai, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region can offset some carbon emissions through land use changes and afforestation; Sichuan and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region should improve energy use efficiency, and Shaanxi and Shanxi can achieve local industrial upgrading by the development of green finance [31]. To achieve efficient management of agricultural non-point pollution in the watershed, there should be emphasis on fertilizer reduction for fruits and vegetables in Shaanxi, Henan, and Shandong provinces, as well as pollution control for cattle and sheep breeding in the western region and pig breeding in the central-eastern region [32]. | The secondary industry in the watershed contributes nearly 80% of CO2 emissions. Among industrial and energy consumption sectors, thermoelectric power production and supply and non-metallic mineral product industry emit the most CO2. It is necessary to vigorously develop clean energy to form an energy consumption structure by optimizing coal-based energy consumption [36]. To promote industrial upgrading and transfer, eastern provinces should increase independent innovation, improve production capacity, and promote low-carbon industrialization; central provinces should rely on technological innovation to reduce resources dependence during economic development; western provinces and autonomous regions should increase investment in science and technology and conduct industry transfer in developed regions. Meanwhile, inter-regional exchanges and cooperation in science and technology industries should be strengthened, so that regions with strong economic strength and high levels of technology can lead the high-quality development of other regions [37]. |
| Application of technologies | Soil organic carbon content increases significantly when cropland or other land use types are converted to forest land and grassland. Increasing soil depth can effectively reduce soil organic carbon loss [27]. | The contribution of the Yangtze River Protection Forest Project to the carbon stock and carbon sink of the Yangtze River Economic Zone is higher than other key ecological projects (~81–83%) [33]. |
| The 236 coal-fired power plants in the watershed could capture a maximum of 7.39 × 108 t of CO2 per year and provide approximately 1.31 × 1010 t of freshwater before equipment decommissioning if combining technologies of CO2 capture and storage with enhanced water recovery [28]. | During afforestation, more carbon fixation comes from biomass accumulation than soil carbon fixation; optimization of afforestation measures can increase carbon fixation potential [34]. | |
| Artificial wetland systems can achieve ecological interception of agricultural drainage with the removal rates of total nitrogen and total phosphorus from water bodies of more than 60% [35]. | ||
| Overview | Total area is approximately 7.95 × 105 km2, spanning nine provinces (autonomous regions). Population and regional GDP account for approximately 30% and 25%, respectively, of China’s total figures. In 2021, the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries accounted for 8.8%, 41.4%, and 49.8%, respectively. The industrial structure is mainly based on energy and heavy industries. | Total area is approximately 2.052 × 106 km2, covering 11 provinces and province-level municipalities. Population and regional GDP account for more than 40% of China’s totals. In 2021, the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries accounted for 7.6%, 38.3%, and 54.1%, respectively. The industry is mainly labor- and capital-intensive. |
| Watershed | Yellow River Basin | Yangtze River Basin |
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