BLOG
The Thirsty Dragon: Water Scarcity and the Development of China’s Xinjiang Province
June 1st, 2016
Via Future Directions International, a look at China’s efforts to develop Xinjiang Province and what it could mean for water resources in the region: Background China is hoping to create one million textile jobs by 2023 by growing its cotton industry in Xinjiang. The region has been producing cotton for some time, despite its arid climate and […]
Read more »Pakistan: Water Scarcity A Bigger Threat Than Militancy
May 31st, 2016
Via Deutsche Welle, a look at Pakistan’s water crisis: A country which is dealing with homegrown Islamic militancy and an exponential rise in extremism might not be too concerned about water shortage, or at least it would not be its top priority. That is why the Pakistani government has hinted that it will significantly increase […]
Read more »Droughtlandia USA
May 25th, 2016
Courtesy of the Pacific Standard, an interesting commentary on what happens when climate change causes Californians to migrate north to Oregon and Washington: In a rumpled suit jacket and faded jeans, Giles Slade stands atop an earthen levee and looks out over a vast expanse of water. It’s mid-November, and the Fraser River runs gray […]
Read more »The Parched Tiger: India To ‘Divert Rivers’ To Tackle Drought
May 25th, 2016
Via BBC, a report on India’s water stress: India is set to divert water from its rivers to deal with a severe drought, a senior minister has told the BBC. Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti said transferring water, including from major rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Ganges, to drought-prone areas is now her government’s […]
Read more »Southwest US: As Lake Mead Dwindles, Can An Interstate Water War Be Far Behind?
May 25th, 2016
Via the Los Angeles Times, an article on the growing tension over the dwindling Colorado River: The last time two states went to war over water, it was 1934. The combatants were California and Arizona and the casus belli was the start of construction of Parker Dam, which would direct water from the Colorado River into California via […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China’s Murky Waters
May 19th, 2016
Via The Asia and Pacific Policy Society, a look at China’s groundwater challenge: During their long march towards industrialisation, all developed countries failed to give adequate attention to air, water and soil pollution. When they did, it was considered as a price to be paid for progress. By the 1960s, many of the major water […]
Read more »