The Driving Forces of Point Source Wastewater Emission: Case Study of COD and NH(4)-N Discharges in Mainland China

Excess consumption of water resources and environmental pollution have become major challenges restricting sustainable development in China. In order to prevent the pollution of water resources, policymakers should have reliable emission reduction strategies. This paper aims to contribute new knowledge by analyzing the spatial-temporal characteristics and driving forces of point source emission. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH(4)-N) emission variations in 31 provinces and municipalities of mainland China during the years 2004–2017 are analyzed. The results obtained using the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method indicate that: (1) the COD and NH(4)-N emission effects have similar temporal characteristics. Technology improvement and pollutant emission intensity are the main factors inhibiting the incremental COD and NH(4)-N emission effects, while economic development is the main driving factor of COD and NH(4)-N emission effects. Population increases play a relatively less important role in COD and NH(4)-N emission effects. (2) The spatial features of COD and NH(4)-N emission effects show differences among provinces and municipalities. The reduction of COD emission effects in each province and municipality is obviously better than that of NH(4)-N emissions. (3) In the eastern, central, and the western regions of China, the total COD emission effect shows a downward trend, while apart from the central region, the NH(4)-N emission effect appears to be rising in the east and west of China. Therefore, increasing investment into pollution treatment, promoting awareness of water conservation, strengthening technological and financial support from the more developed eastern to the less developed central and western regions, can help to reduce the COD and NH(4)-N emissions in China.