The following article from the Guardian (26/3/07) outlines some of the problems associated with the rapid development in India and China.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/china/story/0,,2042942,00.html it is worth reading the full article but some of the main points are below:
- The city of Linfen, China lies at the heart of a 12-mile industrial belt
For the past 5 years this city of 3.5 million people has been the most polluted place on the planet, bottom of the World Bank's air quality rankings. The New York-based Blacksmith Institute puts it alongside Chernobyl on a list of the planet's 10 most contaminated places.
- Linfen symbolises is the cost of development in China. Its economy is growing explosively, leading to a rapid expansion of the middle classes. This in turn has seen a growing appetite for power - leading to coal fired power stations on a vast scale.
By 2009 China is predicted to overtake the United States as the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases.
- Seventy percent of China's rivers are contaminated.
In the southern Himalayas, ancient glaciers are melting.
- Further north, encroaching deserts threaten the livelihoods of 400 million people.
- Linfen is trying to clean up. By the end of this year, the city aims to close 160 of 196 iron foundries, and 57 of 153 coking plants. By replacing small, dirty and dangerous plants with large, cleaner and more carefully regulated facilities, the local government in Linfen plans to drastically reduce emissions. Central heating will be provided by gas instead of coal.
Read the full article to find out some of the effects of industrial growth and development in India!
