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The Thirsty Dragon: Source of Mekong, Yellow and Yangtze Rivers Drying Up
March 10th, 2017
Via China Dialogue, a look at how the source of Mekong, Yellow and Yangtze rivers is drying up: A seasonal dry-out in Sanjiangyuan region, the location of the headwaters of the Yellow River, the Yangtze, and the Lancang. In 2015, the Chinese government announced plans to set up a new nature reserve in the Sanjiangyuan (“three river […]
Read more »A Water Fight Like No Other May Be Brewing Over Asia’s Rivers
November 19th, 2016
Via BusinessWeek, a look at the unfolding fight over Asia’s rivers: Under President Xi Jinping, China has been aggressively asserting claims to most of the South China Sea, angering neighbors by turning specks of rock into artificial islands. Another water fight could be just as explosive—this one involving fresh water. On Oct. 1, China said […]
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 […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China Invests Heavily In Tibetan Water Projects
April 21st, 2016
Via India’s Economic Times, a look at increased Chinese investment in water infrastructure in Tibet: China has invested nearly $3.5 billion in water conservancy infrastructure in the past five years in Tibet, where it is also building a series of dams over Himalayan rivers like the Brahmaputra raising concerns of water shortage in lower-riparian states like India and […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China Plans More Dams In Tibet
March 23rd, 2016
Via Third Pole, a look at China’s new Five Year Plan which calls for a fresh wave of hydropower and major infrastructure projects on a Tibetan plateau already hit by desertification and climate change: China’s just-released 13th Five Year Plan — which sets out the country’s economic and social blueprint — promises to be the greenest […]
Read more »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 […]
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