Danish Environmental Protection Agency in China
The current Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) on Water between the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and the Chinese Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) and the Chinese Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center (FECO) under the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) is in its second phase.
In 2008, Denmark and China entered a Comphrensive Strategic Partnership. Building on the Strategic Partnership, Denmark and China launched a Green Joint Work Programme (2023-2026), which focuses on boosting cooperation on sustainability across all sectors. One of the focus areas is environment and water, which is key in the SSC environment.
The SSC environment project focuses on improving management of wastewater and groundwater.
Water challenges in China reflected in the SSC project
Groundwater
China is a huge country with a population on 1.42 bil. citizens (2023) and a land area approx. 9.6 mio. km2. The Chinese population constitute around 18% of the total population in the world but with only 7% of the global freshwater resources.
Especially the Northern part of the country have major issues with water scarcity characterized by a widespread lack of water and overexploitation of groundwater aquifers. The severe water shortage results in several significant challenges for the environment and ecosystems with dry river beds, drying out freshwater sources, soil cracks and crust formations, sinkholes etc. with implications for the biodiversity, food safety and industrial production.
Access to water unequally affects low-income and rural families. Low water access also exacerbates other inequalities and inhibits socio-economic development.
Wastewater
China’s rapid industrialization and urbanization have taken a severe toll on surface water quality. Throughout China, polluted rivers and lakes are causing widespread health problems and loss of biodiversity. Despite recent substantial investments and a large number of regulatory steps taken in the water sector, significant challenges remain.
The periodically very wet and very dry seasons in Beijing area results in different environmental water related challenges - either from flooding and nutritious run-off to rivers correlated with rainfall or with dry rivers where the water body of the river only consist of reclaimed water/treated wastewater. Both situations have major negative impact on the aquatic environment and related ecosystem.
Focus areas in the SSC project
Groundwater
On the Groundwater track the main project outcome is proposals for building digital monitoring systems, groundwater modelling and improved MAR (Managed Aquifer Recharge) solutions with the aim to combat overexploitation and to contribute to a more sustainable Groundwater resource management.
One of the activities is designing and implementation of a pilot MAR project in Northern China with special focus on the deep confined aquifers.
The main Danish partners on the Groundwater track are:
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency
The Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Beijing
GEUS (Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland)
AAU (University of Aarhus)
The main Chinese partners on the Groundwater track are:
Ministry of Water Resources (MWR)
General Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Planning and Design (GIWP)
Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research (IWHR)
Haihe River Water Conservancy Commission (HRWCC)
Wastewater
On the Wastewater track the main project outcome is to improve water quality in rural areas by optimizing the wastewater management when using eco-restauration as a tool.
Wastewater management is closely connected to overall river basin planning and management, which is why the project focuses on water quality monitoring via use of biological indicators, management of environmentally hazardous substances and monitoring of nutrients.
One of the activities is demonstration projects on eco-restauration at industrial parks and on wastewater management planning.
The main Danish partners on the Wastewater track are:
The Danish Environmental Protection Agency
The Embassy of the Kingdom of Denmark in Beijing
AAU (University of Aarhus)
DHI
The main Chinse partners on the Wastewater track are:
Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center (FECO), Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE)
Beijing Ecology and Environment Bureau (BEE)
Department of Ecology and Environment of Jiangsu Province (JSEE)
Activities
On both tracks in the SSC project, the main activities include:
- Knowledge and experience sharing in Denmark and China
- Policy dialogue – strategies, policies, legal initiatives
- Technical workshops with input from authorities and universities, knowledge centers
- Demonstration projects – design and implementation
- Advice and management suggestions, technical and strategic recommendations
- Latest research and sharing on international congresses