Systematic treatment of urban river pollution

Abstract

Urban river pollution is one of the most prominent environmental problems in Chinese cities that have been trying to prevent and control. The aim of this paper is to propose an urban river governance framework from the perspective of systematic governance. The point source pollution control is the premise of river regulation. Increased impervious surface in urban areas due to urbanization continuously increases the concentration of stormwater runoff pollutants. Many low-impact development facilities such as sunken lawn and rain gardens can also effectively reduce with non-point source pollution. Controlling the pollution source eliminates some pollutants in the river though it does not improve its own ecosystem. Since the self-purification ability of an unstable ecosystem is weak, the restoration of ecosystems is critical component of the water environment management. Urban river regulation should focus on sustainable management of river sources to meet the human needs, while ensuring the health and continuous development of river ecosystems, water ecology, water landscape and water culture.