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The Thirsty Dragon: Power Hungry?
June 23rd, 2011
Courtesy of Circle of Blue, an interesting report on how the cords of energy demand and water supply are tightening around the Chinese economy. As the article notes: The coal mines of Inner Mongolia, China and the oil and gas fields of the northern Great Plains in the United States are separated by 11,200 kilometers […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: Chinese Water Torture Over Tibet?
June 18th, 2011
Via The NewStatesman, an interesting (albeit slightly dated from 2010) article on how – in a region fraught with mutual distrust – anxieties over water supply are raising tensions between India and China. As the article notes: Almost anything the Dalai Lama does can trigger protests from Beijing. But his November 2009 visit to the […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Plan to Divert Water From Tibet To Xinjiang
June 18th, 2011
Courtesy of China Dialogue, an interesting report on the latest idea to move water from Tibet to Xinjiang. As the article notes: Chinese scientists have dreamed up yet another mega engineering scheme: to divert water from Tibet’s Yarlung Zangbo River, along a course that follows the Tibet-Qinghai railway line to Golmud, through the Gansu Corridor […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: Beijing Hasn’t Denied Plans To Divert Brahmaputra Flow
June 18th, 2011
Via The Times of India, a report on the lingering doubt held by India over China’s intentions regarding the Brahmaputra River. As the article notes: China’s reaction to the alarm in India over diversion of Brahmaputra waters has failed to convince Indian experts even as the government tries hard to downplay the threat. China said […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: A Historical Perspective On China’s Water Challenges
June 18th, 2011
Courtesy of The China Beat, a historical look at China’s water challenges via a Q&A with environmental historian Kenneth Pomeranz: JW: Water is figuring centrally right now in a lot of reporting on China. Do you see this as due to a change in the situation or just increased awareness of the kinds of dilemmas […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Rains Bring Relief for Six-month China Drought, But Chronic Water Problems Loom
June 12th, 2011
Courtesy of Circle of Blue, an article on how – in spite of recent rainfall – China’s dry spell is the latest in a growing trend of severe water shortages threatening China’s food production, energy generation, and accelerating modernization. As the report note: “…Heavy rainfall began in China last Friday, easing the effects of a prolonged […]
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