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The Thirsty Dragon: China and the Mekong River – Dominance or Collaboration?
April 4th, 2018
Via Future Directions International, a report on the Mekong River: The Prime Ministers of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam are meeting for the third Mekong River Commission (MRC) Summit in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The MRC was established in 1995 to strengthen joint efforts and partnerships for the sustainable management and development of water resources in […]
Read more »Faced With Drought, the Pharaohs Tried (and Failed) to Adapt
April 3rd, 2018
Courtesy of the New York Times, an interesting historical look at Egypt’s water scarcity issues: More than 3,000 years ago the queen of the Hittites, who lived in what is now Turkey, sent a clay tablet to Ramses II, the Egyptian pharaoh, with an S O S: “I have no grain in my lands.” Previously, the […]
Read more »Why Drought Is A National Security Issue In Iran
March 21st, 2018
Via Al Monitor, an article on Iran’s water insecurity and its impact on national security: Iran is arid with low levels of annual precipitation and limited water resources that have been shrinking. Drought has gripped most parts of the country for at least a decade now, and precipitation has decreased drastically to its lowest level on record in 50 […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Southern Water for North China
March 20th, 2018
Via Future Directions International, a report on whether China’s reliance on water conveyance infrastructure a long-term solution to its water stress: Key Points The planning, construction and operation of grand infrastructure projects is a key component of the Chinese Communist Party’s legitimacy. Canals that shift water from the south of the country to the drier north, […]
Read more »The Parched Tiger: Water Scarcity – India’s Silent Crisis
March 15th, 2018
Via Inter Press Service, a look at India’s water crisis: As Cape Town inches towards ‘Zero Hour’ set for July 15, 2018, the real threat of water scarcity is finally hitting millions of people worldwide. For on that day, the South African city’s 3.78 million citizens — rich and poor, young and old, men and […]
Read more »Divided By Drought: Water Scarcity Divides Rich and Poor
March 1st, 2018
Via The Washington Post, analysis of how Cape Town’s water crisis has highlighted the divide between rich and poor: What do you do when your city is running out of water? The answer, at least in one of the world’s most unequal countries, depends on how much money you have. Within the next few months, […]
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