(May 21, 2011) Recently, Beijing Water Authority revealed that the city’s per capita water resources has declined to 100 cubic meters, far lower than the international warning line for water shortage — 1,000 cubic meters.
Low water prices fuel Beijing’s water shortage
(May 20, 2011) In addition to natural conditions, the water shortage in Beijing is aggravated by low water prices which do not reflect the scarcity of water resources. Low water prices are equivalent to subsidizing those enterprises which consume more water, says Fu Tao, Director of the Water Policy Research Center at Tsinghua University.
China warns of ‘urgent problems’ facing Three Gorges dam
(May 20, 2011) For years, officials focused on the dam’s achievements and tried to stifle domestic criticism of the project. As reality sets in, the government’s public analysis has become increasingly sober. But Probe International Fellow and longtime critic of the dam Dai Qing claims the government’s current efforts to ease the project’s risks are too late, if they’re sincerely meant at all: “The government built a dam but destroyed a river,” she says.
New feature! Three Gorges Dam reservoir level
(May 20, 2011) Probe International has added a new Three Gorges Dam monitoring feature.
Drought at source
(May 20, 2011) China’s South-North Water Diversion project may have little water to spare for Beijing.
China’s mea culpa: Three Gorges Dam problems must be “solved urgently”
(May 19, 2011) Amid power shortages and potential catastrophe, China admits to failings in the Three Gorges Dam. Probe International Fellow Dai Qing responds from Beijing.
Controversial Three Gorges dam has problems, admits China
(May 19, 2011) The world’s largest hydroelectric project was designed to tame the flood-prone Yangtze River and to generate clean energy. But the water is becoming polluted, and regular landslides are making life near the dam dangerous. Three Gorges dam is “a classic case in which government officials exaggerated the benefits and underestimated the risks,” says Patricia Adams of Probe International.
Fengtai Sinkhole Sparks Worries of Future Catastrophes
(May 19, 2011) Beijing’s Fengtai District grabbed headlines in April when the ground beneath Shiliuzhuang Lu opened up suddenly and swallowed a passing truck. This isn’t the first time sinkholes have appeared in the capital. In 2007, and again in 2009, sinkholes opened up near Dawang Bridge in the CBD, leaving residents to wonder if the great Fengtai sinkhole of 2011 might not be the last time the capital’s ground drops out from under it.
Beijing Admits to ‘Urgent’ Problems with Three Gorges Dam
(May 19, 2011) In a rare admission of problems associated with one of its signature infrastructure projects, China’s government warned Thursday that all is not well with the Three Gorges Dam.
Severe drought saps Chinese power output
(May 18, 2011) Water depth at Three Gorges Dam stood at 154.8 meters on Tuesday afternoon.
The Three Gorges Dam’s new normal: failure
(May 18, 2011) China’s drought has caused the Three Gorges reservoir level to drop precipitously, crippling the mighty Three Gorges Dam. Shipping on the Yangtze River has now halted, power generation has been compromised, and geological hazards are heightened.
China acknowledges downside to Three Gorges Dam
(May 18, 2011) The government of China has issued a rare acknowledgment of the issues dogging the country’s massive Three Gorges Dam project. Longtime dam critic and Probe International Fellow Dai Qing calls out the move as a likely “attempt to shirk responsibility”.
Chongqing’s biggest dam to start construction
(May 18, 2011) Chongqing’s biggest hydropower development is set to begin construction after adjustments to a fish conservation area on the Yangtze river were agreed to by the State Council.
Garbage Country
(May 14, 2011) If China has a garbage crisis, and it does, then Three Gorges is likely its biggest dump.
Lawrence Solomon: Fair-trade coffee producers often end up poorer
(May 14, 2011) Coffee is one of our guilty pleasures, and not only because of the calories that can be packed into a double latte. Many of us feel guilty that our pleasure is coming at the expense of the Third World coffee farmer, so much so that we gladly pay more for “fair trade” coffee, which certifies that farmers receive more revenue for their crop.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
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