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The Thirsty Dragon: China’s Richest Person Made Billions Bottling Pristine Water
November 1st, 2023
Via Bloomberg, a report on Zhong Shanshan who built his Nongfu Spring empire by extracting water from some of the country’s most ecologically important rivers and mountains: The misty, forest-carpeted Wuyi Mountains have stood almost untouched for millenniums in southern China. Ancient Taoist temples are one of the few signs of human settlement at the Unesco World […]
Read more »Why the Rush to Mine Lithium Could Dry Up the High Andes
October 5th, 2023
Courtesy of Yale e360, a look at how the water impacts of a mining boom in an arid Andes region of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, home to half the world’s reserves: What environmental price should the world be willing to pay for the metals needed to switch to electric vehicles? The question is being asked […]
Read more »China Builds Reach By Backing Middle East Water Projects
September 24th, 2023
Via Al Monitor, a look at how – in its latest financial deal – China has agreed to provide a new credit facility to expand Saudi Arabia’s water generation and power portfolio: China is looking to take on a bigger role in bringing water-related solutions to the Middle East. Among its latest deals is a three-year […]
Read more »Mekong: A Vital Regional River Can Be a Route for U.S. Diplomacy
September 10th, 2023
Courtesy of Foreign Policy, a commentary that U.S. President Biden’s Vietnam deals should center on the Mekong: On Sept. 10, Joe Biden pays his first visit to Vietnam as U.S. president, where he is expected to ink a deal to elevate the U.S.-Vietnam relationship from “comprehensive” to “comprehensive strategic”—the highest level of Vietnam’s diplomatic hierarchy. […]
Read more »Beyond Borders: Navigating Asia’s Water Challenges
August 24th, 2023
Via The Diplomat, an article on how solving Asia’s water stress will require a concerted diplomatic effort on the international stage: Once an abstract concern, water stress in Asia is now an undeniable reality exacerbated by rapid population growth, urbanization, and climate change. The region is largely failing to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Unpacking China’s Climate Priorities
August 24th, 2023
Via Brookings, a report on China’s climate priorities: The year 2023 has seen China grapple with high-profile geopolitical tensions, post-pandemic economic headwinds, and societal strains. But in the background, the world’s most populous nation is also wrestling with an intensifying environmental crisis. This past year, China set new records for extreme temperatures, faced the heaviest rains in […]
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