China’s Response to Air Pollution Poses Threat to Water

While the Air Pollution Control Action Plan has ambitious goals—cutting air particulates and coal consumption—it may create unintended problems for China’s water supply.

The Plan aims to reduce particulate matter in the North China Plain by 25 percent and reduce coal’s share of the national energy mix to 65 percent by 2017.  One of the plan’s key recommendations is to replace coal with cleaner natural gas, including synthetic natural gas (SNG) converted from coal. Converting coal to natural gas, however, is an extremely water-intensive process.  One cubic meter of SNG requires 6 to 10 liters (1.58-2.6 gallons) of freshwater to produce.  So in an attempt to control urban air pollution in the east, China might jeopardize its water supplies elsewhere.

China’s Response to Air Pollution Poses Threat to Water