Financing Strategy for Urban Wastewater Collection and Treatment in Sichuan Province in China
Until the 1980s, the wastewater management infrastructure in Chinese cities was virtually neglected. In the 1980s, about 20 small-scale wastewater treatment plants were constructed in China that provided low levels of treatment. Impressive investments in this sector began in the 1990s. By 2000, about 400 wastewater treatment plants had been completed and the total treatment capacity increased to almost 40 per cent of wastewater generated in 2003. Despite significant achievements, wastewater treatment in urban areas poses significant risks for human health and environment.
The OECD secretariat has examined the financial sustainability and affordability of developing modern, centralised wastewater management infrastructure in medium sized cities and countries in China. This has been done by analysing fourteen cities in Sichuan Province, all located in the basin of the Yangtze river, in the impact zone of the Three Gorges Dam.
Long abstract
