General socioeconomic basin characteristics

A comprehensive inventory of the major water relevant socioeconomic characteristics of the region is one topic of the first project phase. Reviews of the more easily accessible sources via the internet carried out in advance of the project formed the following picture. About 6-7 million people live in the catchment. Within the basin a downstream-upstream gradient exists in social wealth and its natural preconditions to produce it.  Outdated technologies and equipments, primary industries and mining characterize the economic infrastructure in the basin. 

Both cities with more than a million inhabitants Shouzhou (1.2 Mill) and Danton (3.1 Mill) are situated in the western part of the basin which is part of the province Shanxi. The cities are major point sources for nutrients and sewage. Danton is also called China’s capitol of coal. The province Shanxi contributes 25% to the national coal production and 40% to the national coke production. The coal reserves currently known amount to 260 Mrd. t in the Shanxi province. Coal production and subsequently acting primary industries affect probably mainly the water quality. The significance of water consumption for cooling and chemical processes remains to be explored yet.

(source: Wechsung, project proposal)