ABSTRACT
Environmental degradation in Northeast Asia has been escalating, causing severe damage to the region. The Yellow Sea is one of the most heavily polluted bodies of water in the world, as intense industrial development along its coastlines has led to the discharge of contaminants into it. Rivers carry water pollutants such as heavy metals to the sea from far inland, which has increased red tides and has diminished fish stocks. In addition, overfishing and expansion of mariculture have intensified environmental stress on the marine ecosystem. Levels of air pollution have recently reached record highs due to fine dust and other air pollutants, and now constitute a grave threat to human lives and health in Northeast Asia. The meteorological phenomenon known as Yellow Dust or Asian Dust has been a problem in the area for hundreds of years but has grown recently due to increased desertification in China and the harmful industrial pollutants produced in industrial and urban areas that are carried eastward, as is fine dust from transportation and industry. As such, the countries of Northeast Asia are wrestling with imminent environmental and health threats.
