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The Thirsty Dragon: China’s Interest In Next Dalai Lama Is Also About Control of Tibet’s Water
July 10th, 2025
Via The Conversation, commentary on how China’s interest in the next Dalai Lama is also about control of Tibet’s water supply: As the 14th Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday with thousands of Tibetan Buddhists, there’s already tension over how the next spiritual leader will be selected. Controversially, the Chinese government has suggested it wants more power over who is […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Catastrophe on the Roof of the World
June 8th, 2025
Via Stagecraft and Statecraft, commentary on the full extent of China’s destruction of the Tibetan Plateau, not least because the area is off limits to international observers. But there is no doubt that the region’s ecosystem is becoming increasingly fragile, with far-reaching social, environmental, and geopolitical consequences: The Tibetan Plateau is home to vast glacial […]
Read more »China’s Mega Dam Project Poses Big Risks for Asia’s Grand Canyon
May 17th, 2025
Via Yale e360, a report on how China’s plans to build a massive hydro project in Tibet have sparked fears about the environmental impacts on the world’s longest and deepest canyon. It has also alarmed neighboring India, which fears that China could hold back or even weaponize river water it depends on. China has announced […]
Read more »What’s Driving China’s Controversial Mega-Dam in Tibet?
February 14th, 2025
Via The Diplomat, commentary on how – while the proposed hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River has sparked concerns in India – from China’s perspective it is mostly motivated by domestic factors: On December 25, 2024, Chinese state media Xinhua reported that the country had officially approved the construction of what will be the […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China Pushes Ahead with Huge – and Controversial – Dam in Tibet
December 26th, 2024
Via the Washington Post, a report that Beijing has approved plans to dam a gorge in the Himalayas that is three times as deep as the Grand Canyon, despite concerns about the impact on Tibet and India: Chinese authorities are pressing ahead with plans to build a series of enormous hydropower dams across a gorge […]
Read more »Hydro-Diplomacy, Policy, and the Future of Himalayan Waters Amidst Climate Change
November 1st, 2024
An interesting video discussion amongst Farwa Aamer, director of South Asia Initiatives at Asia Society Policy Institute, Susanne Schmeier, head of Water Governance at IHE Delft, and Ambika Vishwanath, co-founder and director of Kubernein Initiative, exploring the critical issues affecting transboundary rivers in the Himalayan region as climate change and water stress intensify. The conversation […]
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