Satellite-Based Water Quality Assessment of the Beijing Section of the Grand Canal: Implications for SDG11.4 Evaluation

Abstract

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in China became a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2014, and the water quality of this ancient man-made canal has increasingly attracted societal attention. This study focuses on monitoring the water quality of the Beijing section of the Grand Canal (BGC) using remote sensing technology. Analysis of the comprehensive trophic level index (TLI) indicates that the water in the Canal was predominantly light eutrophic from 2016 to 2022. The annual average results of the TLI reveal that the water quality in the Kunming Lake and North Canal of BGC is generally good, characterized by some mesotrophic waters, and others are in light eutrophication. The TLI for the entire BGC water body decreased from 64.7 in 2016 to 60.3 in 2022, indicating an improvement trend in water quality. Notably, the proportion of good water with TLI less than 60 increased from 50% in 2016 to 83% in 2022. This improvement of water quality may be attributed to the reduced use of fertilizers and pesticides and the implementation of various environmental policies by Beijing Municipal government. These findings offer valuable insights for the management and protection of the water resources of the BGC, and further contribute to the evaluation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.4.