Abstract
In recent years, China has attached great importance to pollution control, and national and many provinces have introduced water pollution management policies in the hope that improvements can be made. However, there is currently a lack of objective and adequate assessment of the effectiveness of water pollution management (WPM) at the regional level, especially a lack of in-depth research on the causes of improvement, key measures, and pathways of action. This paper constructs an evaluation index system based on the driver, pressure, state, impact and response (DPSIR) model and evaluates the WPM performance of Tianjin based on the five aspects comprising the DPSIR model. The results show that WPM performance in Tianjin has been commendable, improving from 76.15 points out of 100 in 2014 to 90.93 points out of 100 in 2018. The score increased more rapidly from 2016 to 2018 after the regional policy was implemented. The main reason for this encouraging phenomenon is the significant improvement in water quality. From 2016 to 2020, the closure of high pollution industrial enterprises and the regulatory management of aquaculture have significantly reduced pollutant emissions. At the same time, under the constraints of the river chief system, pollutant discharge permits, discharge standards, ecological compensation agreements on water pollution and other policies in Tianjin, the effect of pollution source control is obvious, with improved water quality and high public satisfaction.
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Funding
This research is supported by National Key R&D Program of China (2018YFC1903604& 2019YFC1908502), the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) (No.71603134), Natural Science Foundation of Tianjin (No.19JCYBJC23300).
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Mo Zhang and Meiting Ju contributed the central idea and design the research. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Yujia Wang, Yan He, Chonggang Yang. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Yujia Wang. Chonggang Yang worked very hard during the revision process. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Highlights
• The water pollution management performance of Tianjin was evaluated based on the five aspects comprising the DPSIR model.
• Strengthened water pollution management policies have effectively contributed to regional water environment management.
• Reduction in emissions from industrial and agricultural sources is a major contributor to water quality improvement.
• Emission control at source and upstream water quality control are significant pathways for water pollution management.
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Wang, Y., Zhang, M., Yang, C. et al. Regional water pollution management pathways and effects under strengthened policy constraints: the case of Tianjin, China. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29, 77026–77046 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21034-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21034-y