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.
Letter to President of Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) re: Madeira River developments
(July 13, 2006) We are writing to express our extreme concern regarding news reports which indicate that the Inter-American Development Bank is planning to partially finance the construction of the Madeira River Hydroelectric Dam / Industrial Waterway Complex
Chinese protected area not put into danger list
UNESCO has not included the Three Parallel Rivers region in Yunnan province in its most recent list of world heritage sites in danger
Combat corruption: commit to the conventions
(July 12, 2006) Activists worry that “the failure” of G8 member states to renew existing commitments to monitoring corruption will undermine negotiations at the forthcoming Conference of the States Parties.
Regulator: China’s plants pose risk
(January 30, 2001) Most of China’s chemical plants pose a ‘grave environmental risk’ because they are located too close to cities and rivers, the State Environmental Protection Administration warns.
Half of China’s chemical plants endanger environment
(July 11, 2006) China’s State Environmental Protection Administration says 45 per cent of the country’s chemical and petrochemical plants, most located along rivers and lakes or in densely populated areas, pose a major environmental risk.
Flood control, drought relief base opens on Pearl River
The new flood-control command centre is China’s fifth to be located in a specific drainage area.
Chinese-Thai-Burmese dam projects raise humanitarian, environmental concerns
(July 11, 2006) ‘If all the projects go ahead, the Salween will become one of the world’s most heavily dammed river systems, with all the dislocation to people and wildlife that entails.’
100 million-dollar ADB China loan to clean up Wuhan waterways
(July 11, 2006) The Asian Development Bank loan is to be spent on upgrading wastewater treatment facilities, expanding collection networks and building larger stormwater pumping stations for the city of Wuhan.
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