Regional water pollution management pathways and effects under strengthened policy constraints: the case of Tianjin, China.

In recent years, China has attached great importance to pollution control, and national and many provinces have introduced water pollution management policies in the hope that improvements can be made. However, there is currently a lack of objective and adequate assessment of the effectiveness of water pollution management (WPM) at the regional level, especially a lack of in-depth research on the causes of improvement, key measures, and pathways of action. This paper constructs an evaluation index system based on the driver, pressure, state, impact and response (DPSIR) model and evaluates the WPM performance of Tianjin based on the five aspects comprising the DPSIR model. The results show that WPM performance in Tianjin has been commendable, improving from 76.15 points out of 100 in 2014 to 90.93 points out of 100 in 2018. The score increased more rapidly from 2016 to 2018 after the regional policy was implemented. The main reason for this encouraging phenomenon is the significant improvement in water quality. From 2016 to 2020, the closure of high pollution industrial enterprises and the regulatory management of aquaculture have significantly reduced pollutant emissions. At the same time, under the constraints of the river chief system, pollutant discharge permits, discharge standards, ecological compensation agreements on water pollution and other policies in Tianjin, the effect of pollution source control is obvious, with improved water quality and high public satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]