For the first time, a comprehensive list of cascade dams in Sichuan Province shows the jaw-dropping extent to which one of China’s most hydropowered regions is being developed, proving the Xi Jinping […]
China’s Yarlung Tsangpo Great Bend mega-dam not feasible due to risks
A transboundary super dam proposed for occupied Tibet, near its border with India, poses significant concerns and risks. A report by Chinese geologist Fan Xiao delves into the infeasibility of the massive […]
A little chat about the recent 6.2 magnitude Jishishan earthquake
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake that struck China’s northwestern Gansu province late Monday, killing more than 100 people and injuring hundreds, occurred in an area prone to earthquakes on the northeastern edge of the […]
Dams cause earthquakes, earthquakes cause other earthquakes
A new study focused on the 6.8 M Luding earthquake in China’s Sichuan-Yunnan seismic zone, shows how dams make areas susceptible to earthquakes directly (through RIS) and indirectly by altering geological structures, […]
Did dams ramp up deluge in Henan?
Some say the area’s aging dams are a threat to the region, compounded by the Chinese Communist Party’s centralized response system. Probe International looks at why.
Scant change in China’s disaster response from Tangshan to Zhengzhou
A centralized system that prevents local governments from responding fast during emergencies, and rewards them for relief efforts over efforts to prevent calamity, is a recipe for disaster. Analysts weigh in on […]
Another massive earthquake slashes power from China’s No.2 and No.3 hydro dams
A 30 percent loss of output from two massive dams on the upper Yangtze, in combination with a 6.1M earthquake upstream and south-west of the two stricken hydro plants, heightens fears in […]
A deeper look at China’s May quakes
Two strong and separate earthquakes rattled northwest and southwest China this month – one of them the strongest since the devastating Wenchuan earthquake of 2008. The series of May quakes are part of […]
Hydropower development on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River is an illegal project
China’s new Five-Year plan (2021-2025) has given the green light to build dams on the lower reaches of Yarlung Zangbo, the upper stream of the Brahmaputra River in Tibet before it flows […]
Dai Qing’s “Green Ideas”
This summer, Dai Qing, the legendary Chinese investigative journalist, Probe International Fellow and one of China’s most iconic environmental voices will join the Penguin Classics canon in a new series on the […]
Seismic activity in the Three Gorges region – 2021 update
Since the impoundment of the Three Gorges reservoir began in 2003, tens of thousands of earthquakes have been recorded in the reservoir area. Chinese geologist and environmentalist, Fan Xiao, looks at the […]
Testing times for Three Gorges Dam and the Canadian connection to its construction
Canada’s flag is draped all over the national pride of China.
A deadly 6.0 magnitude earthquake hits China’s big-dam country, Jinsha River valley
A 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan province in southwest China late Monday night, followed by a series of aftershocks measuring over magnitude 5.0 reports China’s official Xinhua news agency. Historical data indicates the event is an unprecedented one for the area.
Once again: Sichuan quake highlights dam risk
The 7.0-magnitude earthquake in southwest China’s Sichuan province earlier this month, and a devastating 2008 quake in the same province, are likely linked to the region’s dam-building program, says expert.
The Induced Earthquakes Database
Mining-related activity accounts for the most frequent cause of human induced seismicity, followed by water reservoir impoundment, according to The Induced Earthquakes Database – a comprehensive global review of all human-induced earthquakes.