Water, pollution, and public health in China

It is often presumed that industrialized countries have the greatest wealth, in living standards, labor practices, and environmental policies it is not always the case. China arguable a country that is or is far in the process of industrializing boasts some of the world worst environmental conditions for their water supply.  In ‘Water, pollution, and public health in China’ an article by Marilyn Beach she describes the dire situation in China “with 22% of the world’s population, but only 8% of its fresh water, estimates indicate that 700 million Chinese people drink water that does not meet their government’s minimum safety standard…The Chinese Journal of Hygiene Health reported in 1992 that lead concentrations in seven major Chinese cities were 3600-5216% higher than the legally permissible standard”. This shows that countries that have a strong grow economy still face major battles when it comes to the issue of water. Not only does China face problems with the availability of water but problems with dealing with waste water in major cities and agricultural sectors. “Studies chow that over 30 billion tones of urban sewage are discharged into China’s rivers, lakes, and seas each year, with between 2-7 and 10% receiving no prior treatment”. China faces water problems on two front; firsts in the availability and distribution of water but also on the treatment side.  The article convey the grim situation, “According to some sources, over 50% of total government spending for environmental protection in the coming years will be devoted to waste-water treatment in an effort to improve water quality. But even this will fall woefully short of demand.