The causes and impacts of water resources crises in the Pearl River Delta

Abstract Owing to its combination of superior natural conditions and abundant resources, the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China, is densely populated, with concentrated industry and rapid development. The PRD is also one of the most threatened estuaries in the world, as it has been exposed to an increasing series of crises related to water resources. Water conflict, water pollution, and saltwater intrusion have all increased dramatically in the past few decades, which pose a threat to regional water security and impose constraints on regional development. The goal of this paper is to analyze the causes and impacts of some of the water resource crises faced by estuaries under dramatically changing environments, based on studies in the PRD. The PRD is centered around the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) and is the second most economically active district in China. Rapid economic development and a population boom have resulted in an average annual growth rate of 1.43% in water resource demand, which has further accelerated water pollution by a substantial growth in sewage discharge. Water pollution results in the impairment of the ecological functions of the water, and the standard rate of water function areas in the PRD remains under 50%. Large-scale and uneven sand excavations not only decreased the river discharge from upstream but also allowed more tidal prisms to enter, which triggered severe saltwater intrusion. Meanwhile, sea-level rise and changing wind patterns also contribute to increasingly severe saltwater intrusion, which was characterized by gradual increases in salinity, as well as more prolonged periods of higher salinity that exceeds acceptable thresholds occurring earlier in the year. This study is intended to bring attention to these challenging issues and provide some of the information needed to advance research into sustainability assessment of the water resources.

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