(July 24, 2006) Forestry and water-control projects are helping to keep silt at a stable level on the Yangtze River, particularly near the Three Gorges dam, the official Chinese news agency says.
Are some people naturally corrupt?
(July 24, 2006) Maybe, but incentives may trump lack of personal morals, according to Tim Harford, the author of Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor – and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!
Clean up Chinese industry
(July 20, 2006) A 27-year-old economic boom has left China’s waterways and coastlines polluted by industrial and farm chemicals and domestic sewage. ‘Having long failed to enforce its own environmental safeguards,’ China must now outsource for help.
Water source to be built
(July 19, 2006) Shanghai will begin construction of a new 16 billion yuan hydro project in September.
China to build hydropower stations
(July 19, 2006) A series of hydroelectric power plants are planned for the Tarim River region, where the longest inland river in China runs.
Vice Premier urges continuous flood-control efforts
The death toll from the killer tropical storm Bilis has risen to 198 in China; Vice Premier Hui Liangyu has urged government departments to step up flood-control efforts, especially in regard the safety or major rivers and reservoirs.
Environmentalists say China misusing cross-border rivers
(July 18, 2006) China’s plans for cross-border hydro expansion create tension with Central Asia and Russia.
Managing globalization: for Africa, high hopes
(July 18, 2006) It is true that corruption represents a huge obstacle to economic and social development in many African countries. And it is true that so-called entrenched networks of socially connected businesspeople and public officials make life very hard for corruption fighters. But there are fresh signs of success in some countries, such as Nigeria and South Africa, and other countries that already enjoy good governance and strong institutions.
Three Parallel Rivers region focus of monitoring mission
IUCN/UNESCO inspectors have signalled their concern about planned dams on the Nu, Lancang and Jinsha rivers and are keeping a close eye on developments in the Three Parallel Rivers world heritage site in Yunnan province.
Beijing abandons coal gas
(July 17, 2006) Saying no to coal gas will help Beijing reduce its coal consumption by nearly three million tons each year – part of China’s drive to clean up its polluted capital ahead of the 2008 Summer Olympics.
On the road to forgiveness, justice is forgotten
(July 17, 2006) The World Bank’s high-profile focus on curbing corruption looks set to continue but to what effect can the Bank implement its anti-graft agenda when the Bank itself has been “the cause of corruption, and odious and illegitimate debts, in the past?” asks Gail Hurley of the Brussels-based NGO network Eurodad.
UK calls for IMF reform
(July 16, 2006) Britain is pushing for a radical shake-up of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, including an end to the post Second World War stitch-up which split the top jobs between Europe and the US, reports Heather Stewart for The Observer.
Three Parallel Rivers World Heritage Site monitoring mission report
‘Hydro-development plans and associated environmental impact assessments need to be released as soon as possible to resolve outstanding uncertainties’ as to whether proposed dams will harm the World Heritage site, IUCN/UNESCO inspectors write.
£100 million [US$185m] fund to combat corruption among developing world leaders
(July 14, 2006) Britain has announced the creation of a ¬£100 million fund to fight corruption and improve political accountability in the developing world, as part of an undertaking by the Tony Blair administration to address how Third World challenges identified at last year’s G8 summit could be met, reports Tania Branigan for The Guardian.
Environmental safety fears over factories
(July 13, 2006) ‘If China does not take effective preventative measures, the occurrence of environmental incidents will be out of control,’ warns Pan Yue, vice-minister of the State Environmental Protection Administration.
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