The Yangtze in the south is plagued by rising pollution, the Mekong-Lancang in the west by overfishing, and the Salween-Nu, also in the west, by infrastructure and dams, the report notes. The Yellow River, another "mother river" for the Chinese people, is also on the verge of death, suffering from severe pollution and water shortages. …

Last month, a research group on Yangtze River Basin Water Safety and Security submitted an investigative report to the National People’s Congress calling for the relocation of heavy chemical industries to protect the basin’s environment, according to The Economic Observer. Zhenlou Chen, the head of the research group, expressed his deep concern over the worsening pollution, noting that, "the waters of spring have almost become poisonous." …

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