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Water quality changes in the world's first special economic zone, Shenzhen, China
Author(s) -
Chen Yi,
Zhang Zhao,
Du Shiqiang,
Shi Peijun,
Tao Fulu,
Doyle Martin
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2011wr010491
Subject(s) - urbanization , china , environmental degradation , special economic zone , water quality , natural resource economics , sustainability , environmental quality , environmental science , exclusive economic zone , quality (philosophy) , pollution , environmental planning , environmental protection , water resource management , business , environmental engineering , geography , economic growth , economics , fishery , political science , law , ecology , philosophy , archaeology , epistemology , biology
Shenzhen, as the first special economic zone in the world, has been in the process of rapid urbanization for 30 years. Many special economic zones have been established in China and other nations following Shenzhen's experience. However, Shenzhen has attained significant economic development with an attendant cost of environmental degradation, and similar results may be seen in other zones in the future. Here we use a pollution index method to evaluate the effect of such rapid urban development on the surface water quality in Shenzhen from 1991 to 2008. Rapid urbanization has affected surface water quality, but environmental policies can mitigate some of these effects, although such policy‐induced improvements required some time before showing efficacy. As their use of special economic zones proliferates worldwide, greater consideration of the potential effects on water quality, and their overall sustainability, must receive greater attention.