The need for China to enter into institutionalized water-sharing arrangements with its downstream neighbours is key to building water cooperation and the protection of critical ecosystems but its reluctance to do so, says geostrategist and author Brahma Chellaney, is to secure its monetary and political power as the controller of Asia’s major waters.
Joy amid caution as Burmese halt Chinese mega-dam
(October 8, 2011) The Burmese president announced that the controversial Chinese-financed Myitsone dam on the Irrawaddy River would be suspended. Now the Chinese government is threatening legal action if the rights and interests of its state enterprises aren’t protected.
Pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi urges Burma to save the Irrawaddy
(August 16, 2011) Burma’s pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, has called for a reassessment of Burma’s massive 6,000 MW Irrawaddy Myitsone dam project.
China and the Cascading Geopolitics of Lower Mekong Dams
(May 10, 2011) Much has been written on the downstream impact of China’s dams on the Lancang-Mekong River, which flows through or along the borders of five other countries after exiting China. Most of the discussion relates to the hydrological impact of impounding water in the eight dams along the mainstream Lancang Jiang in Yunnan Province.
Cancel the Xayaburi Dam
(May 6, 2011) The Save the Mekong coalition and its alliances have called for the halt of construction activity at the dam site and for the Government of Thailand to cancel its plans to purchase the dam’s electricity. Many groups from around the Mekong region have also called for cancellation of the Xayaburi Dam as it would jeopardize the livelihoods and food security of millions of people in the region.
China’s dams threaten livelihoods
(April 26, 2011) The damming of every major river flowing from the Tibetan plateau will trigger natural disasters, degrade fragile ecologies and divert vital water supplies.
Thailand considers de-commissioning one disastrous megadam, building another
(March 3, 2011) The World Wildlife Fund reports that the Government of Thailand is considering de-commissioning the failed Mun River dam, while blasting ahead with another dam in the Mekong region. Have the lessons of the Mun been forgotten?
An Inconvenient Truth: China Uses Global Warming to Justify Controversial Nu River Dams Project
(February 3, 2011) The Government of China is using international pressure to reduce carbon emissions as a pretense to build a series of controversial power stations on the pristine Nu River—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—despite opposition from environmentalists and human rights advocates.
World Bank dam in Laos an environmental and social disaster, as expected
(December 15, 2010) Critics of the Nam Theun 2 dam in Laos say it’s a perfect example of why the World Bank should stop its support of large dams, writes Brady Yauch.
Nervous neighbours
(November 24, 2010) Construction of a large-scale dam in Tibet is prompting familiar fears downstream on the Brahmaputra. Joydeep Gupta reports on India’s concerns.
China dams Brahmaputra river in Tibet
(November 16, 2010) China has dammed the Brahmaputra river in Tibet for the first time in order to begin the main construction work on a 510 MW hydropower station project, notwithstanding concerns raised by India in this regard.
Beijing’s threat to India’s water security
(November 10, 2010) There is growing concern in India over the country’s water security given China’s geographic chokehold on almost every important river system in South Asia. Now, as a massive project to divert as much as a third of the Brahmaputra’s water into China looks more and more like becoming a reality, concern is turning to alarm.
Water Crisis Threatens Asia’s Rise
(October 11, 2010) Worsening water shortages across Asia may hamper the region’s ability to maintain economic growth, writes Alan Wheatley.
Think twice before doing damage that will be irreversible
(September 30, 2010) With wildlife habitat and cultural heritage at stake, dam projects on the lower Mekong River must be debated in public forums, writes The Nation editorial board.
Laos sees big fish as small price to pay for hydropower
(September 24, 2010) Laos is moving ahead with plans for hydroelectric development on the Mekong River, despite concerns from conservation groups, writes Jonathan Watts in the Guardian.
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