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The Thirsty Dragon: Recent Achievements in the South – North Diversion Scheme
October 18th, 2008
Via The Economist, a report detailing the most recent progress of China’s ambitious South – North water diversion scheme. As the article notes “…THE water level at Wangkuai Reservoir, one of the biggest in Hebei province, is close to an historic high—in a region gripped by drought. This has been achieved by hoarding the water. […]
Read more »China’s Dam(n?) Plans
October 15th, 2008
As reported by The Guardian, China is planning to build a string of new dams in southern Tibet to boost its electricity supply. Given that hundreds of millions of people across Asia depend on rivers that originate in Tibet, and because previous hydroelectric proposals have proved controversial due to their impact on the environment, local […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: A Grim Update
September 21st, 2008
Via EcoWorldly, a grim reminder of the water challenges facing China. As the article notes: “…Beijing has begun draining “emergency†water reserves from the neighboring, rural Hebei province in the face of what officials in the capitol are calling a “grim†water forecast. The water crises is nothing new for Beijing. Nearly 60 years ago, […]
Read more »The Mekong: A Flood of Worry About The Impact of China’s Dams
August 31st, 2008
Via Japan Focus, a detailed look at the impact that major floods of the Mekong have had upon Southeast Asia, not only in an environmental/economic sense, but also from a political perspective. Many countries are asking whether China is responsible for the heavy flood damage, as its cascade of dams on the Mekong have been […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: The Sino-Kazakh Water Dispute Flows Downstream
August 10th, 2008
An insightful analysis of the issue of water rights and management between Kazakhstan and China, who share some 20 transboundary rivers and are competing to balance China’s demands to utilize more water for its Far West economic & agricultural development with Kazakhstan’s own ecological & economic needs. As the article notes: “…Two of Kazakhstan’s main […]
Read more »Water Scarcity in Asia
August 7th, 2008
Via The Jakarta Post, an interesting discussion of water scarcity in Asia. While the focus is on China (as we have discussed previously in this blog), it offers some dramatic insight into recharge vs. depletion rates in other Asian nations: “…Although the Olympics have swung the focus of international attention to China’s many achievements and […]
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