Eutrophication of Lake Taihu in China and Post-Response to the Plague of Algal Bloom in 2007

Abstract

Lake Taihu bordered on Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces is the third biggest freshwater lake in China. Along with the rapid urbanization and fast-growing economic development, a serious eutrophication has occurred in the basin of Lake Taihu. The plague of algal bloom in 2007 caused several days suspension of water supply for over 2 million population in Wuxi City. To struggle against this accident, the Chinese Government has implemented several policies in a short period with abundant budgets such as; introduction of freshwater from the Yangtze River, improvement of sewerage system, and closure of the small factories, stock farms and fish farms without proper drainage system. This paper aims to report the post-response to the plague of algal bloom in Lake Taihu based on the authors' fieldwork and literature survey as well. Moreover, this paper touches on the relations between environment policies and urban development in China.