Pollution & Solutions

Pollution & Solutions – With UK water utilities dumping raw sewage into rivers, Fukushima’s looming wastewater dump, and a recent study showing that our oceans are turning greener due to climate change, it’s time to talk about pollution and solutions for our freshwater and oceans.

This month, get the latest pollution status for China’s waters with our reviews of the recently released State of Ecology & Environment (SOEE) 2022 report and the Bulletin on Marine Ecology & Environment 2022. And on the solutions front, we check out nanotechnology for groundwater purification and an organisation taking on SDG17 to fast-track collaborative solutions.

According to the 2022 SOEE published by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China’s national surface water quality continued to improve and Grade I-III category has already exceeded the 14th Five Year Plan target for 2025.

And for the first time ever recorded, all 7 major river basins met both Water Ten targets. But it’s not all good news. Get the full roundup in our review.

Meanwhile, for China’s seas, though overall coastal water quality remained stable there’s still a lot of clean-up needed. Get the latest findings in our review of the 2022 Marine Ecology & Environment Status Bulletin.

Plus, find out which sea’s Grade IV+ worsened by a whopping 388%. But there shouldn’t be any doubt that oceans are a priority for China, the term “ocean” appears more than 130 times in the 14FYP.

Clearly, we urgently need solutions to clean-up. And we need to remember that what happens in the rivers matters for the oceans as they are a channel for pollution to flow through.

Drinkwell’s 500+ water ATMs are an economically viable solution for delivering clean water access, thanks to its purifying nanotechnology and operating model.

We sat down with Drinkwell Co-founder and CEO, Minhaj Chowdhury, to learn about the benefits of their technology, expansion plans and the challenges they face. Plus, find out what they are doing to build climate resilience.

Another solution comes from Waves of Change, which is focused on SDG17 – “Partnerships for the goals”. In our chat with Co-founder and President, Nico Occhiminuti, he shares why this SDG and why we need to remember that in face of unprecedented environmental issues, collaboration trumps competition.

Plus, hear more from Occhiminuti on the annual Forum they organise that covers everything from fashion to sea level rise. The cross-industries components prove both a challenge and a strength.

With the world breaking the ‘hottest day’ record 3 times this month, rampant wildfires in Canada and Europe and devastating floods in India, China, South Korea and the US to list a few, the time for solutions is now.

We urgently need to clean-up and protect our freshwater and seas. Pollution will exacerbate already increasing water risks and we will feel the consequences even more as water is how we feel climate change. It’s time to join forces and get implementing solutions, so let’s get to it.