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The Thirsty Dragon: China’s Dam Boom Stokes Concerns In Asia
March 16th, 2016
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 […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Water, The 13 FYP, and Beautiful China 2020
March 16th, 2016
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 & […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: Geopolitics of India and China’s Shared Water Sources
March 15th, 2016
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 […]
Read more »Bolivia: High And Dry
March 14th, 2016
Via The Financial Times, a look at water tensions in Bolivia where mining-led development comes at a cost for nation’s fishing communities: Fishing boats on the dried Poopó lake bed near La Paz in west Bolivia Vicente Valero wears a poncho that tells the story of his ethnic group, the Uru-Murato, in multicoloured stripes. Thought […]
Read more »Indonesia’s Water Security
March 8th, 2016
Via Future Directions International, a look at Indonesia’s water security: Key Points Population growth and an expanding manufacturing sector will increase demand for water. New dams will likely improve agricultural water supplies, at least in the short-term, but will not improve municipal supplies. Water privatization in Jakarta has failed to improve service delivery. The return […]
Read more »Mekong: Can One Of The World’s Great Rivers Survive Its Development?
March 2nd, 2016
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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