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Archive for the ‘China’ Category

The Thirsty Dragon: China’s Watergy Challenge To Quench The Thirst of China’s Dry North

Via the Wilson Center’s China Environment series, an extensive report on what some have long considered the “black box” of China’s energy-water nexus challenge, namely the energy footprint of cleaning, treating, and transporting water to quench the thirst of cities in China’s dry north: China’s dramatic urbanization over the past four decades has fundamentally reshaped […]

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The Thirsty Dragon: China’s Dam Boom Stokes Concerns In Asia

Via Nikkei Asian Review, some interesting commentary on the concerns arising in Asia that China is seeking to turn water into a potential political weapon: China’s centralized, megaprojects-driven approach to water resources is the antithesis of the situation in another demographic titan, India, where the constitution makes water an issue for state governments and where […]

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The Thirsty Dragon: Water, The 13 FYP, and Beautiful China 2020

Via China Water Risk, a summary of water’s role in the 13 FYP and Beautiful China 2020 initiative: Highlights -Target reduction in water use per unit of GDP by 23% by 2020; also reduction in COD & NH discharge by 10% each -Expect more eco-red lines + tech & policy innovations. Insurance, green bonds & […]

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The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: Geopolitics of India and China’s Shared Water Sources

Via Future Directions International, an interesting look at the geopolitics of India and China’s shared water sources: Key Points China and India are water-scarce countries that will face significant challenges to food and water security in the future. As lower riparians, India and Bangladesh rely on the Brahmaputra River for water, agriculture and livelihoods. Upstream, China […]

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Mekong: Can One Of The World’s Great Rivers Survive Its Development?

Via The Economist, a series of three articles on the Mekong River.  The first looks at GUO, the driver, pulls his car to a merciful halt high above a crevasse: time for a cigarette, and after seven hours of shuddering along narrow, twisting roads, time for his passengers to check that their fillings remain in place. Lighting […]

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The Thirsty Dragon: Water Use In China’s Power Sector 2030

Via China Water Risk, a new report examining the expected impact of China’s power sector on water & climate in 2030: China Water Risk (CWR) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) jointly release “Water Use in China’s Power Sector: Impact of Renewables and Cooling Technologies to 2030?. This brief examines the expected impact of China’s […]

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