Extreme Blizzard in Japan’s Hokkaido Triggers Secondary Environmental Issues

Hokkaido, Japan, has been struck by an unprecedented blizzard, with snow depths exceeding 2 meters in many areas. This has caused transportation paralysis, stranding tens of thousands of people, and led to failures in power and heating systems. This extreme weather will also bring secondary environmental problems. Once the snowmelt period begins, road de-icing salts, garbage, and various pollutants will enter water bodies through meltwater runoff, posing threats to the local ecological environment and the safety of residents’ drinking water.