The Thirsty Dragon: The Geopolitics Of The Yangtze River
April 1st, 2013
Courtesy of STRATFOR (subscription required), a look at the geopolitical implications of China’s move to transform the Yangtze River into a major internal economic corridor, in particular the geography and history of the Yangtze River region and its role in shaping Chinese politics and statecraft: As the competitive advantage of low-cost, export-oriented manufacturing in China’s [...]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: War Of Words Over Yangtze Hydropower Development
July 3rd, 2012
Courtesy of China Dialogue, an article examining the latest war of words over hydropower development on the Yangtze tributary: Another bout of fighting has broken out over hydropower development on China’s Jinsha River, the westernmost tributary to the Yangtze. At the launch of a new survey on dam-building in late May, Zhang Boting, deputy secretary [...]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China Plans Tibetan Conservation Zone To Protect Source Of Great rivers
November 19th, 2011
Via the Shanghai Daily, a report that China is planning to set up an ecological conservation zone on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, where the country’s major rivers originate. As the article notes: “…The planned national conservation zone covers a 395,000 square kilometer region known as Sanjiangyuan, which is the source of China’s three major rivers – [...]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: Is Three Gorges Responsible For Dwindling Yangtze?
June 2nd, 2011
Via Foreign Policy, a report on debate that has emerged in China over the role of the Three Gorges Dam in exacerbating this summer’s devastating drought in China. As the article notes: SHANGHAI — In glittering Shanghai, known for its hopping night life and influx of Western luxury stores, a VIP cocktail reception last Thursday [...]
Read more »Thirsty Dragon: Moving Heaven & Earth To Bring Water To Beijing
October 1st, 2010
Via Terra Daily, an updated look at China’s $62-billion South-North Water Diversion, which will bring water to the parched capital via three major phases: 1) the 885-mile eastern line from Hangzhou to Beijing, which mostly follows the route of the Grand Canal and is hoped to be ready by 2013; 2) the middle line, which [...]
Read more »The Thirsty Dragon: China’s ‘Long Haul” To Slake the North’s Thirst
June 13th, 2010
Courtesy of IEEE’s Spectrum magazine, a detailed look at China’s ambitious plans to address its water scarcity issues: “…In 1952, Mao Zedong visited the great rushing rivers of China’s south and suggested that the thirsty north “borrow” some. Thus was born the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. Nearly 60 years later, construction is under way on [...]
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