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October 29, 2007
As you all know by now I recently returned from my trip to China. My biggest complaint if anyone asked me, was the smog that covered the entire country. I should post some pictures, so I will work on that. Anyway, the other thing we were told every day in every city we visited was not to drink the water in the hotels! These were 5-star hotels and we were advised to drink only bottled water. That's why I found the article below of interest. From Energy and Capital newsletter.
China, which is undergoing a vast rural-to-urban population migration, is emblematic of the places where water has become scarce. It has the same amount of water as Canada but 100 times more people.
Per-capita water reserves there are only about a fourth of the global average, according to experts. Of its 669 cities, 440 regularly suffer moderate to critical water shortages.
Recently, China announced a $14.5 billion plan to clean up just one of its severely polluted lakes. That should give you some idea as to the amount of money we're talking about in this industry.
That multibillion-dollar plan is to clean up Lake Tai, where a massive algae bloom has caused a water supply interruption to millions of people.
But Lake Tai isn't the only body of water in desperate need of clean-up.
According to the latest figures from the state environmental protection agency, an estimated 70% of China's main rivers and lakes are so polluted, the water is completely undrinkable.
In fact, a number of hydrologists, government officials and industrial leaders have declared water and waste pollution the single most serious issue facing China.
And if the efforts to clean up all of China's water problems come with price tags like the one for Lake Tai, you can bet there will be serious money to be made.
Heavy investment is coming outside of China as well.
The estimate just to upgrade water pipes in the US is $300 billion over the next 30 years.
Infrastructure and companies working in the fields of water purification will see huge increases in demand. |
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