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On the Water-Starved Colorado River, Drought Is the New Normal
January 26th, 2019
Via Yale’s e360, an interesting article on the impact that a 19-year drought and climate change in the U.S. southwest is having upon making the region, water managers and users along the Colorado River: In the basement of the University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research, the fragrant smell of pine hangs in the air as […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China Ponders Massive Canals To Link Yangtze and Pearl Rivers
January 18th, 2019
Via The Asia Times, a report on China’s consideration of two mega canal systems to connect two major rivers, a project that would dwarf Three Gorges Dam in terms of size and effort required: China is considering digging two mega canal systems to link the Yangtze River, which runs through central and eastern China, to […]
Read more »Pakistan: Water Theft Drains Indus Canals Dry
January 4th, 2019
Courtesy of The Third Pole, a report on how rampant theft from Pakistan’s irrigation canals, in collusion with influential politicians and the military, means farmers downstream can no longer grow crops: Bilal Israel Khan has 500 acres of land in Sadiqabad, Rahim Yar Khan district of Pakistan’s Punjab province bordering Sindh. Farming since 1972, he […]
Read more »A Damming Trend
December 20th, 2018
Via Terra Daily, a report on the future of hydro dams on the Mekong River: Hundreds of dams are being proposed for Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia. The negative social and environmental consequences – affecting everything from food security to the environment – greatly outweigh the positive changes of this grand-scale flood control, according […]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: China Weaponizing Water Against India
December 16th, 2018
Via Braham Chellaney, commentary on the weaponization of water in Asia: Just as China has changed the status quo in the South China Sea through an island-building strategy, it is working to re-engineer cross-border flows of international rivers that originate in Tibet, which Beijing annexed in 1951. No country will be more affected by China’s […]
Read more »Turkey: Ilisu Dam and Iraqi Water Woes
October 25th, 2018
Via Future Directions International, a report on Turkey and Iraq water cooperation and competition: The Ilisu Dam is located on the Tigris River in Turkey, and, once filled, will be a source of both water and hydropower. In the past, Turkey has been criticised for withholding water behind other dams and reducing the flow into […]
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