BLOG
Damming the River by Feeling the Stones: China’s Mekong Hydropower Strategy
July 24th, 2025
Via New Security Beat, commentary on China’s Mekong River strategy: For decades, China has been the dominant force in hydropower development across the Mekong subregion, financing, and constructing massive dam projects that have transformed Southeast Asia’s economic and environmental landscape. Many analysts have framed this expansion as a meticulously orchestrated strategy to extend Beijing’s economic […]
Read more »Thirsty Dragon and Parched Tiger: China Begins Building World’s Largest Dam, Tensions Boil In India Over “Water Bomb”
July 22nd, 2025
Via BBC, an article on China’s massive Tibetan dam project and growing tensions between China and India: Chinese authorities have begun constructing what will be the world’s largest hydropower dam in Tibetan territory, in a project that has sparked concerns from India and Bangladesh. Chinese Premier Li Qiang presided over a ceremony marking the start […]
Read more »A Tale Of Two Nations: The North Aral Sea Rebounds While The South Aral Sea Dries Up
July 12th, 2025
Via Eurasia Review, a look at how – once a thriving inland sea – the Aral has become a cautionary tale of ecological collapse, political neglect, and uneven recovery, as efforts in Kazakhstan are bringing about a slow revival in the north, while Uzbekistan’s extractivist priorities leave the south gasping for life: Give a man […]
Read more »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 »Ethiopia’s Mega Dam On Nile ‘Now Complete’: PM
July 4th, 2025
As reported by France24, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Thursday said a multi-billion-dollar mega-dam on the Blue Nile that has long worried neighbouring countries is complete and will be officially inaugurated in September: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), launched in 2011 with a $4-billion budget, is considered Africa’s largest hydroelectric project stretching 1.8 […]
Read more »The Indus Treaty Verdict: When Water Outlasts War
July 4th, 2025
Via the Lowy Institute, a look at how a Hague ruling against India’s treaty “abeyance” might stop a precedent that could spread from China to Bangladesh: For more than 60 years, the Indus Waters Treaty between India and Pakistan has stood as one of the few enduring triumphs of postcolonial diplomacy – surviving wars, diplomatic breakdowns, and […]
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