(March 31, 2011) Thousands of Chinese residents displaced by the Xiangjiaba hydrodam protest China’s resettlement policies.
Thousands of Chinese citizens protest forced resettlement by hydro dam, clash with police
China’s Mekong development costs neighbours plenty
(March 30, 2011) Communities dependent on the Mekong River for income and food say upstream dam development by China has disordered the river and endangered livelihoods.According to longtime residents who live alongside the river , topsy turvy tide flows caused by dam operation have brought floods, ruined crops, and made planning ahead impossible. With more hydropower projects on the cards, locals fear China is the only beneficiary of changes to the Mekong – a 5000 km waterway that flows through six countries.
Public asked to report earthquake omens
(March 30, 2011) According to China Daily, the Chinese government is proposing new emergency preparedness measures which would encourage citizens to report signs of imminent earthquakes to officials, but forbid people from publicly predicting them.
Citizens’ group expresses concern over building dams in seismically active areas of India
(March 29, 2011) The North East People’s Alliance, a group composed of activists and NGOs in North East India, is calling for a halt to large hydro dams, which they fear will trigger further seismic activity in the area.
Beijing’s massive water diversion project could trigger earthquakes: experts
(March 28, 2011) A new study warns that plans to raise the Danjiangkou Dam could lead to earthquakes of greater than 4.0 on the Richter Scale. Experts say the dam triggered an earthquake of M 4.7 in 1973.
Tsunamis in the Mekong River?
(March 26, 2011) The dramatic events following the recent Japanese earthquake, triggering an unprecedented tsunami and a serious nuclear reactor incident at Fukushima points out rather glaringly the adverse impacts arising from natural disasters caused by seismic activities and exacerbated by man-made structures.
Ethiopia: The Politics of Ethiopian Grand Millennium Dam
(March 26, 2011) Several days ago, an acquaintance called to invite me to participate the next day in a panel discussion prepared by Deutsche Welle’s Amharic service program. The panel was to discuss about the Ethiopian Grand Millennium Dam (GMD). I was told that I was approached because of my training and practice in Water Resources Engineering.
Green projects may induce earthquakes
(March 25, 2011) The April edition of the popular technology, engineering, and science news magazine, IEEE Spectrum, describes how “green” projects — geothermal energy, hydropower and carbon sequestration — may induce seismic activity.
Chinese geologist Fan Xiao’s open letter urging Chinese officials not to destroy rare fish reserve (translated by Probe International)
(March 25, 2011) Chinese geologist and environmentalist Fan Xiao has sent a letter to high ranking Chinese officials, urging them not to destroy the rare fish conservation zone they’ve created on the Yangtze. Plans are in the works to build the Xiaonanhai dam within the conservation zone, which would be the second time the Government redrew the zone to accommodate dams. Building the dam would violate the government’s own environmental protection rules, and would put over 100 rare species of fish at risk. He calls for public hearings and an administrative review, in hopes of convincing officials to abandon the plan.
China outsources its pollution
(March 25, 2011) In an effort to reduce air pollution, the Chinese government has found a way to outsource its problem.
China to map active faults following a string of quakes in Asia
(March 25, 2011) The Chinese government will launch a campaign to map the country’s active fault lines in the wake of strong earthquakes in Japan and Myanmar.
Chinese geologists warn of dam building on Nu River’s faultlines
(March 24, 2011) China Dialogue recently ran this article arguing that damming the Nu could have earth shattering consequences.
Shouldering China’s toxic burden
(March 23, 2011) Four years ago a World Bank report landed on the desk of the Chinese health ministry containing shocking statistics on pollution-related deaths in the country, so much so that Beijing promptly engineered the removal of a third of it over fears that the findings, if they went public, could spark “social unrest”.
Burst of New Dams in Southwest China Produces Power and Public Ire
(March 22, 2011) Rachel Beitarie of Circle of Blue writes about the human costs of widespread megadam building in China.
World’s first self-closing electronic ring gate system delivered to Ahai Dam, China
(March 21, 2011) Tianjin Alstom Hydro Co Ltd. (TAH) has successfully delivered the world’s first self-closing electronic ring gate control system to the Ahai hydropower project in China, representing a major technical advance for the safety of the dam.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Patricia Adams and Lawrence Solomon
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