Solutions
Fig 1. Soldiers clear algae along the coastline of Qingdao, Shandong province, July 3, 2008. More than 10,000 people and 1,200 vessels were mobilized to tackle the huge algae bloom that threatened the Olympic sailing event in east China's Qingdao, out of the sea.
Image Credit: Ju Chuanjiang | Asianewsphoto
Finding solutions for mitigating eutrophication
Given the diversity of pathways, sources, and drivers of nutrient pollution, policies to address eutrophication cannot be limited to traditional command-and-control approaches such as regulatory standards, nor can they be focused exclusively on a single sector such as wastewater treatment. Policymakers should look more broadly at agricultural, energy, land use, and public health policies and design these policies to mitigate nutrient pollution.
Types of policies to consider in a comprehensive nutrient reduction framework include:
- education and outreach;
- research, monitoring, and evaluation;
- regulations;
- fiscal and economic incentives;
- ecosystem preservation and restoration;
- exploiting synergies with other environmental goals.
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