(March 2, 2011) Though much of the drought stricken areas in China have now received some precipitation, the North remains dangerously dry.
Dry up city’s water shortage by using less
(January 11, 2011) Wang Jian, who studies Beijing’s water consumption for the NGO Green SOS, estimated that city could save 190 million cubic meters of water annually if residents used it less extravagantly. That figure is double the capacity of the Guanting Reservoir.
China counts £130bn cost of economic growth
(December 28, 2010) The Guardian’s Jonathan Watts writes that the cost of pollution, deteriorating soil and other impacts cost China 1.3 trillion yuan, or 3.9% of the country’s GDP, in 2008.
Warm weather, pricey diesel give ski resorts glum outlook
(November 30, 2010) Twelve ski resorts have been operating in Beijing as of 2006, guzzling 640,000 cubic meters of water annually, according to the Beijing Water Authority, a government agency for water conservancy and flood control.
No-salt solution for China’s water shortages
(September 9, 2010) Specialists say a ton of desalinated water currently costs between 5 and 7 yuan in China, without including the costs of fixed investments, while water from the South-North project may end up costing more than 10 yuan per ton, writes Luo Jieqi in Caixin Online.
China takes another stab at resettlement with $62 billion water plan
(August 29, 2010) Residents living in glittering new condos in Beijing enjoy the luxuries of swimming pools, while villagers in neighboring Hubei Province are relocated to make way for the massive $62 billion South-North Water Transfer Project.
Car washers clean Beijing dry
(August 13, 2010) Beijing car washers are driving China’s water-strapped capital to a dry end faster, says Lisa Peryman.
Seeing is believing
(June 7, 2010) Li Yuling, the narrator of the most recent Oral History “A River Returns,” is featured in this China Daily report detailing the activities of Beijing citizens as they raise awareness on the dire state of the city’s once pristine rivers.
Beijing residents worry their city is running out of water, looking to government for action
(June 5, 2010) Three-quarters of those interviewed in a recent survey about Beijing’s water crisis say that they are concerned about the capital city’s water shortages and that they feel pollution and overexploitation of water are to blame. The survey, commissioned by Friends of Nature, China’s oldest environmental organization, was released in Beijing today, World Environment Day.
Standing tall: New oral history shows citizens taking a stand for Beijing’s rivers
(June 1, 2010) Beijing, once famous for its sweet spring water and clear-flowing rivers is now infamous for its polluted canals and dried up riverbeds. But one small river, that once suffered decades of insults and was among the city’s dirtiest, is making a comeback.
Paying water’s real costs
(April 16, 2010) Freshwater ecosystems are under siege in many parts of the world — and one often overlooked driver of this crisis is how we value and price water.
Beijing’s water consumption defies ongoing drought
(April 7, 2010) The number of businesses in Beijing that are using water lavishly continues to grow, despite a decades-long drought and a stressed watershed, say Chinese environmental researchers in a recent report.
Flushing it all away: Residents in Beijing caught wasting water
(April 1, 2010) Residents in drought-stricken Beijing are, literally, flushing their water resources away.
City to start progressive charging for water
(March 23, 2010) Beijing will pilot progressive charging for residential water consumption in the first half of this year, according to the Beijing Water Authority. Progressive charging for residential use will work on a quota basis, the Beijing Water Authority said Sunday. A consumption quota will be given to residents, from which anything over the fixed amount will be charged at twice the standard rate.
Inspection of city water usage
(March 22, 2010) The authorities are launching an inspection of venues in Beijing that consume the largest amounts of water, with a focus on public baths, as countries around the globe mark World Water Day today.
Patricia Adams
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Mu Lan
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