BLOG
The Parched Tiger: India’s Water Woes
October 29th, 2016
Via the East Asia Forum, some additional commentary on India’s water challenges: Water is a hot topic in India. The most recent boil-over sparked protests that left two dead and masses of vehicles torched. But this is hardly a new phenomenon. In the 1500s, the Mughal emperor Akbar built a new capital in the dry plains of […]
Read more »The Parched Tiger: Would India Really Abrogate the Indus Waters Treaty?
October 27th, 2016
Via Global Risk Insights, commentary on the escalating India-Pakistan tensions surrounding Kashmir, in which New Delhi has not ruled out the possibility that it will abrogate the longstanding Indus Waters Treaty: Recent months have witnessed a dramatic escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan in relation to events in the Kashmir region. The historic standoff […]
Read more »Southeast Asia’s Last Major Undammed River In Crisis
October 27th, 2016
Via Third Pole.net, a look at the Salween River (that flows from the Tibetan Plateau into the Andaman Sea), where China has suspended dams upstream but the Myanmar government is pushing ahead with Chinese backed dams downstream, despite environmental costs and cheaper alternatives: From the snow-capped mountains of Tibet, the Salween rushes through steep gorges […]
Read more »Tajikistan: Progress on Rogun Dam Risks Renewing Tension With Uzbekistan
October 25th, 2016
Courtesy of STRATFOR (subscription required), analysis of potential risks arising from the construction of a controversial dam in Tajikistan: Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have made an effort to improve their relationship in the past few months, but recent advances in the construction of a controversial dam could undo some of the progress they have made. According […]
Read more »Will Central Asia Fight Over Water?
October 25th, 2016
Via the BBC, a look at Central Asia where a crisis is brewing over water and electricity: In Central Asia, a crisis is brewing over water and electricity. The Soviet-era system in which the five countries of the region shared their resources has broken down, leaving some facing water shortages and others chronic power cuts. […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: Strategic Implications of China’s Dam Building Spree In Tibet
October 25th, 2016
Via India’s Institute for Defense Studies, interesting commentary on the strategic implications for India of China’s dam building activities in Tibet: Recent reports have pointed to China blocking the Xiabuqu tributary of the Yarlung Zangpo River (Tibetan name for Brahmaputra) for a dam project. The 195-km long Xiabuqu originates at Bainang and joins the Brahmaputra […]
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