by Jim Yardley, New York Times November 19, 2006 Dolka, China: At the two glacial lakes that give birth to the Yellow River, a Tibetan nomad named Tsende stands at the river’s […]
China’s water pricing urged to hold water
(November 18, 2006) Whisky is for drinking, water is for fighting over, as Mark Twain observed. It is true. Having found itself more often on the losing side of the battle to provide sufficient clean water to the vast and arid northern region, Chinese government resorts to market-driven water pricing to cure its water shortage headache.
Investors consider the costs of Tibetan resources
(November 17, 2006) Plans to build a hydropower station on a sacred Tibetan lake in western China were abandoned last week, with the authorities deciding that developing the local tourist industry could turn out to be more profitable, but if the central government continues to encourage mining throughout its remote western regions, it will also need to build the infrastructure required to draw in investors.
Malawi deputy president arrested
(November 16, 2006) Malawi police have arrested vice president Cassim Chilumpha on corruption charges, intensifying a political crisis that is paralysing the impoverished southern African country.
Three Gorges and the environment
(November 15, 2006) Dai Qing at Sanwei Bookstore in Beijing
Leading anti-corruption campaigner detained over alleged defamation
(November 14, 2006) Campaigner against corruption in the Republic of the Congo is arrested for defaming president: latest move in a campaign of judicial harassment against activists denouncing the looting of Congolese public funds, says international NGO.
Chinese prefecture cancels dam project on sacred Tibetan lake
(November 14, 2006) A controversial dam project on a sacred lake in eastern Tibet has been scrapped by the Chinese authorities following concerns expressed by local Tibetans and Chinese environmentalists.
China’s rare river dolphin now extinct, experts announce
(November 14, 2006) The rare Chinese river dolphin has gone extinct, according to scientists who could not find a single one of the animals during a six-week search on China’s Yangtze River.
Power station plan at SW China scenic spot sparks controversy
(November 14, 2006) Plans to build a hydropower station in a national scenic spot in southwest China have fired a debate on the precedence of economic development over natural conservation.
Unplugging Thailand, Myanmar energy deals
(November 13, 2006) Thai Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand says he intends to scrap the previous government’s controversial multi-billion dollar plans to ramp up imports of hydroelectric power and natural gas from neighboring military-run Myanmar, signaling a potentially significant shift in which direction the region’s energy flows and a possible new era of bilateral antagonism between the historical rivals.
China environment dangerous, says official
(November 13, 2006) The degradation of China’s environment was reaching a critical point where health and social stability are under threat, the country’s top government official on the environment said today.
WB blacklists Bhasha dam surveyors
(November 12, 2006) The World Bank blacklisting of Lahmeyer International has jeopardized the future of a dam scheme the company is working on in Pakistan; although widely reported by the media, Pakistan authorities say they need to verify the company’s debarment first before taking action. Work on the Bhasha dam project in Pakistan is in jeopardy now that the World Bank has blacklisted the German engineering firm, Lahmeyer International, after finding the company guilty of paying bribes in the multi-billion dollar Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP).
Burma to lose out in Thai energy industry shake-up
(November 10, 2006) Thailand will not rely on Burma for gas supplies or electricity from controversial river hydro dam schemes for the country’s energy needs in the next decade, new Energy Minister Piyasvati Amranand said in Bangkok Friday.
Pollution threatens Beijing’s future drinking water source
(November 9, 2006) Pollution is threatening Beijing’s future source of drinking water as factory discharges and untreated sewage seep into a reservoir planned for the capital’s use by 2010, water experts said.
Bank bars company for years-old bribery scandal
(November 8, 2006) By paying bribes to the Lesotho Highlands Development Authority’s chief executive, the engineering company Lahmeyer International engaged in punishable activities, the World Bank’s Sanctions Committee found.
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