(March 14, 2010) The Mekong River, South-East Asia’s longest waterway, is at its lowest level in 50 years, raising questions about who is to blame – mankind or Mother Nature – for the region’s diminishing water supply. The 4,350-kilometre-long river originates in southern China and meanders through Laos and Thailand into Cambodia, where it feeds Tongle Sap Lake before reaching southern Vietnam and emptying into the South China Sea.
Severe drought puts spotlight on Chinese dams
(March 12, 2010) Environmental groups in Thailand and elsewhere lay at least part of the blame of the recent drought on China’s doorstep. They claim that China’s management of a series of dams on the Lancang has aggravated the unfolding crisis. The Thai media has helped stir up emotions; one editorial in the Bangkok Post last month was headlined "China’s dams killing Mekong." Yet Chinese engineers and some other scientists say the criticism is unfounded.
Hidden waters, dragons in the deep: the freshwater crisis in China’s karst regions
(January 18, 2010) Just like the polluted waters of the Yangtze River, the eroded hills of the Loess Plateau and sandstorms whipped up in the deserts of Inner Mongolia that pummel Beijing every spring, the Shi Dong and Nan Dong caves of Yunnan Province represent the front lines of China’s fresh water crisis. Studies of China’s southwest karst region indicate the water beneath the surface is contaminated with bacteria, chemicals and sediments that drain off the land. Moreover, the region’s porous landscape makes securing a steady supply of water for agriculture and household use an often daily challenge.
Beijing once again turning to Hebei to solve its water problems
(March 9, 2010) Beijing’s worsening water crisis is once again forcing its neighbouring province Hebei to sacrifice more of its dwindling reserves. According to a recent report from China Daily, Hebei is expected to open four of its reservoirs this year in an effort to help cover demand in the country’s water-starved capital.
Three Gorges reservoir plagued by hazards
(March 6, 2010) The fragile hilly ecosystem near the Three Gorges Reservoir has suffered a series of plights including geologic hazards, stone desertification and water pollution, said a vice-mayor of Chongqing municipality, the Beijing Times reported on Saturday.
Beijing’s mirage: A water park in a water-starved city
(March 4, 2010) As Beijing’s water crisis continues to worsen, government officials say they intend to transform the city’s famed Olympic Water Cube into a massive water park, featuring seven-story water slides and a wave machine. Operators of the stadium say the project will cost 200-million yuan ($29-million).
Asia Water Project launches investor report and unveils information portal on China water crisis
(March 1, 2010) Water in China: Issues for Responsible Investors, authored by the independent research company Responsible Research and commissioned by the Asia Water Project (AWP), reveals that at the national level, China’s water shortages are thought to be responsible for direct economic losses of US$35 billion every year. This is 2.5 times the average annual losses due to floods.
Capital thirsts for water from Hebei
(January 20, 2010) Neighboring province tightens its belts to ease Beijing’s shortage. Four reservoirs in Hebei are expected to be called upon again this year to supply water to Beijing, but the water delivery plan is still being negotiated by the Beijing and Hebei governments. The temporary plan for Beijing to get water from the four reservoirs – two in Shijiazhuang and two in Baoding – will bridge the gap until the South-to-North water diversion project is completed in 2014.
China’s pollution problem worse than anticipated says new report
(February 17, 2010) China’s first official nationwide census of pollution sources found that the nation’s water is much more polluted than official estimates originally reported.
Tapping the source: China and the Mekong river
(February 16, 2010) As the rush to dam the Mekong river in Southeast Asia continues unabated, critics are fighting back by documenting the river’s elaborate ecology and economy–both of which are under siege from development.
Chopsticks mercantilism: China’s involvement in Africa
(February 15, 2010) China’s engagement with Africa should be a boon. Its overall trade with Africa rose from $10.6 billion in 2000 to $75.5 billion in 2008, propelling Africa’s growth rate to 5.8% in 2008, its best performance since 1974. China is now Africa’s second-largest trading partner after the United States, importing a third of its crude oil from Africa…But China’s engagement is increasingly being seen as odious, predatory and brutish. The initial enthusiasm that greeted Chinese investments in Africa has now cooled.
The South-North Water Diversion project: in the Chinese government’s own words
(February 3, 2010) After years of delays and setbacks, construction on the South North Water Diversion project is now moving forward at “full capacity.” According to an official from the State Council, in 2010 alone, the government plans to invest a record 48 billion yuan ($7.02 billion) in the massive water project.
China grows thirstier
(January 29, 2010) Next to air pollution, water scarcity looms as one of China’s largest environmental disasters. Beijing consumes more water annually than its water resources combined, according to the Chinese Statistical Yearbook 2007. Without intervention, the city will face a massive shortage.
Beijing troubled by severe water shortage
(December 20, 2009) Due to 11 consecutive years of drought, Beijing has become a city of severe water shortage.
Oral History: Yongding River in Mentougou District
Below is the sixth in a series of oral histories about Beijing water, as told to Shi He by 60-year-old Wang Yongsen. Wang Yongsen is a farmer and longtime resident of a mountain village in Mentougou District about 70 kilometres due west of downtown Beijing.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
Other News Sources
Probe International 