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No Mainstream: The Mekong’s Competing Definitions
April 15th, 2023
Courtesy of The Diplomat, an article on how – both within and between nations – Southeast Asia’s largest river gives rise to competing, and in some cases conflicting, notions: Last September, during a Thailand-Australia Policy Dialogue organized by the Asia Foundation and the Australian National University in Canberra, I was reminded of the ice-breaking exercise […]
Read more »Climate Change Threatens Asia’s Water Tower
April 7th, 2023
Via Eurasia News, an article on how climate change is threatening Asia’s water tower: Tibet is known as the “Water Tower of Asia,” providing water to about 2 billion people and supporting critical ecosystems in High Mountain Asia and the Tibetan Plateau, where many of the largest Asian river systems originate. This region is also […]
Read more »Laos Takes Another Step Forward on Controversial Mekong Dam
April 7th, 2023
Courtesy of The Diplomat, an article on continued progress towards the new China-backed Pak Lay hydropower project, one of nine dams that the Lao government has planned for the Mekong River: Yesterday, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that Thai and Chinese investors have signed a power purchase agreement that opens the way to the construction of a […]
Read more »Dammed Thirsty: The Cross-Border Fight For Water
April 7th, 2023
Via Terra Daily, a look at some of the world’s cross-border fights for water: With half the world experiencing water scarcity for at least part of the year, the huge dams being built by some countries to boost their power supplies while their neighbours go parched are a growing source of potential conflict.Ahead of a […]
Read more »China Open To Role In Bangladesh River Project Under India’s Nose
February 5th, 2023
Via Nikkei Asia, a report on China openness to playing a role in Bangladesh’s Teesta River project: A billion-dollar project to restore and manage a crucial river in Bangladesh is back on the table, with China showing a willingness to fund the endeavor, though even the Chinese ambassador has hinted at potential concerns over how regional […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China’s ‘Sponge City’ Program Moving At Shenzhen Speed
February 2nd, 2023
Via The Diplomat, an article on China’s Sponge City Program, which aims to both prevent flooding and increase water supply in urban areas: In 2017, the city of Shenzhen, China invited foreign teachers like me to visit Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve, on the coast of Shenzhen Bay overlooking Hong Kong. The problem was the reserve did […]
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