(January 6, 2010) The much-promised electricity from the Three Gorges dam is failing China’s citizens when they need it most—during one of the most intense winter storms the country has experienced in decades. According to recent reports, the Chinese government is now urging the country’s factory operators to scale back operations to ensure sufficient power to heat homes, as demand has surged with the below-freezing temperatures.
Other News Sources
Drought poses a risk to reservoir and people
(January 6, 2010) A severe drought around the Yangtze River has caused the water level in the Three Gorges Reservoir to stay much lower than the anticipated level of 175 meters and that could complicate plans for farmers and millions of others who rely on the river to survive.
Cancellation of odious debts an issue in upcoming Philippine presidential race
(January 5, 2010) Research organization Ibon Foundation is urging candidates in the upcoming presidential election to make public their stand on the repeal of automatic debt servicing; cancellation of odious debt; increased allocation and spending for health, education, and housing; and reversing trade liberalization, improving collection efficiency, and addressing bureaucratic corruption and wastage to raise badly needed revenues instead of imposing new taxes such as the tax on text messaging.
Chronology of Ren Xinghui’s case: Prepared by Probe International
(January 4, 2010) A chronology of Ren Xinghui’s quest to discover what happened to the money collected for the Three Gorges Construction Fund.
Beijing troubled by severe water shortage
(December 20, 2009) Due to 11 consecutive years of drought, Beijing has become a city of severe water shortage.
Sichuan Quake brochure
(January 4, 2010) An excellent brochure, providing details on the deadly May 2008 Sichuan Earthquake and the possibility that the Zipingpu Dam may have caused it.
Oral History: Yongding River in Mentougou District
Below is the sixth in a series of oral histories about Beijing water, as told to Shi He by 60-year-old Wang Yongsen. Wang Yongsen is a farmer and longtime resident of a mountain village in Mentougou District about 70 kilometres due west of downtown Beijing.
Oral History: Three-Eyed Well in Xuanwu District
Below is the eighth in a series of oral histories about Beijing water, as told to Wang Jian by Wang Yumin, Chef, and Yin Jingxiu, Fitter and Turner.
Oral History: The Xishan Dajue Temple’s Spring Runs Dry
Below is the tenth in a series of oral histories about Beijing water, as told to An He and Wang Jian by Guan Zhanxiu, a forestry specialist at the Xishan Dajue Temple (Great Awakening Temple, or Temple of Enlightenment) in Beijing’s Haidian district
Oral History: The Vanishing Haidian
People of our age can’t avoid talking about water when Haidian is mentioned. I was born in 1949, the year New China was born. Since I was young, I’ve lived in the area near Yiheyuan (SummerPalace) and Dayouzhuang (Abundance Village). Between 1958 and 1968, I was at school there and I remember it was like a solitary boat in a marsh— with the Western Hills, the sunsets and water everywhere. It was absolutely beautiful.
Oral History: The Lost Rivers of the Forbidden City
Below is the second in a series of Beijing water oral histories, as told to Wang Jian by Sun Jiaming and Sun Jiayi.
Oral History: Remembering Miyun Reservoir
Below is the third in a series of Beijing water oral histories, as told to Wang Jian by 60-year-old Huang Deyu and 59-year-old Guo Shulian of Miyun County. Wang Jian is a Beijing-based water resources expert. Download the pdf here.
Oral History: Old Beijing’s Goldfish Ponds
Below is the seventh in a series of oral histories about Beijing water, as told to Wang Jian by Wang Zhidong, an 80-year-old physicist and lifelong resident of Beijing. Download the pdf here.
Oral History: Magic Water Village of Mentougou District
Below is the fifth in a series of oral histories about Beijing water, as told to Wang Jian and A.H. by 52-year-old Tan Julin of Lingshui Cun (Magic Water Village) in Mentougou District. Mentougou is 70 kilometres due west of downtown Beijing. Download the report here.
Oral History: Jiayukou Village on Great Rock River
Below is the fourth in a series of oral histories about Beijing water, as told to A.H. by 52-year-old Yue Jingxian, a surveying engineer with the Beijing Research Institute of Surveying and Design. Yue Jingxian was sent to Fangshan County for re-education in the early 1970s.
Probe International 