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The Thirsty Dragon: The Dams of Chongqing
April 3rd, 2012
Courtesy of Foreign Policy, a look at China’s plans to build more dams along the Yangtze: Mapmakers and geologists divide the Yangtze River, the third largest in the world, into three sections: China’s mighty “Mother River” begins in the Tibetan plateau, slowly gathering strength as it meanders through a relatively barren expanse of rock and […]
Read more »The Parched Tiger: Proposal To Link Rivers Sparks Concern In Neighboring Countries
April 3rd, 2012
Via The BBC, an article on how a supreme court order in India asking the government to link more than 30 rivers and divert waters to parched areas has sparked concerns in neighbouring countries. As the report notes: “…Bangladesh says it would be hardest hit because it is a downstream country to two major rivers […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Chinese Power, Burmese Politics
April 2nd, 2012
Via China Dialogue, a report that uses the stalled Myitsone dam project as a way to show how China’s state-owned energy firms have entwined themselves in Myanmar’s internal struggles. As the article notes: We approached the Myitsone construction site along a new concrete road, laid over the local government’s old, rough track by China Power […]
Read more »Las Vegas’ Water Fight: Round One In Upcoming Global Urban Vs. Rural Battle
April 2nd, 2012
Via The Guardian, an interesting look at Las Vegas’ struggle for water security and the symbolic foreshadowing it may provide of a growing global urban / rural tussle over water. As the article notes: With a myriad of artificial lakes, fountains and swimming pools Las Vegas gives the impression the city has water to waste. […]
Read more »The Global Water Grab
March 29th, 2012
Via the Transnational Institute, a look at “water grabbing” which refers to situations where powerful actors take control of valuable water resources for their own benefit, depriving local communities whose livelihoods often depend on these resources and ecosystems. As the report notes: 1.What is ‘water grabbing’? Water grabbing refers to situations where powerful actors are […]
Read more »Yemen: Being Sucked Dry
March 29th, 2012
Via Reuters, a look at Yemen’s increasingly desperate water situation: With a belch of acrid, greasy smoke and a jolt that shakes its moorings, the pump on Yemeni water farmer Jad al-Adhrani’s plot of land roars to life, and the race to squeeze the last drop of water out of Yemen’s parched earth resumes. Gesturing […]
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