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Central Asia Risks Becoming A Hyper-Arid Desert In Near Future
October 31st, 2020
Via The Conversation, a report on water stress in Central Asia: Around 34 million years ago, sudden climate change caused ecological breakdown in Central Asia. This ancient event, triggered by rapid drops in temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide, permanently affected biological diversity in the region. Large areas of Mongolia, (geographic) Tibet and north-western China suddenly […]
Read more »Bangladesh A Winner in India-China Rivalry, But Water Dispute Settlement Still A Long Way Off
October 28th, 2020
Via Future Directions International, a report on Bangladesh’s efforts to capitalize on India and China’s competition for influence to help address the nation’s water issues: Despite the concerns of environmentalists and of the Indian authorities, the government of Bangladesh is considering a Chinese proposal to dredge and embank much of the Teesta River. The proposal is one of […]
Read more »Proposed Dams Strain Water Politics in Iraq
October 26th, 2020
Via Deutsche Welle, a report on how – while scientists warn of their negative impact on biodiversity – the autonomous Kurdistan Region is building multiple dams to respond to water insecurity: Over the last 30 years, Jassim Al-Asadi has witnessed the Mesopotamian Marshes of southern Iraq where he was born undergo dramatic changes. Once the […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Amid US Criticism, China Offers Mekong Nations Access to Crucial River Data
October 23rd, 2020
Via The Diplomat, a report on China’s agreement to provide downstream nations access to crucial Mekong River data, a welcome development for downstream nations, but one that underlines China’s strategic hold over the crucial waterway: China has agreed to provide the Mekong River Commission (MRC) with year-round hydrological data, following through on a promise made by Chinese Premier […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Water is China’s Greatest Weapon and its Achilles Heel
October 19th, 2020
Via the Harvard Political Review, commentary on China’s water politics: When it comes to flood myths, China’s is not as well known as Noah’s Ark, but just as influential. Legend says that four millennia ago, the Yellow and Yangtze rivers frequently flooded, with devastating consequences for the ancient Chinese. However, salvation arrived when a distant relative […]
Read more »Cross Border Fight Over Water Erupts In Mexico
October 15th, 2020
Via The New York Times, a report on the La Boquilla Dam, which was seized from the government by local farmers amid a water dispute with the United States: The farmers armed themselves with sticks, rocks and homemade shields, ambushed hundreds of soldiers guarding a dam and seized control of one of the border region’s most […]
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