In the Media

Rivers around the world are being tamed by massive hydroelectric dams, with high-profile projects under construction in Laos and China and several proposed for the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. Researcher Guy Lanza of the University of Massachusetts Amherst is working to limit the environmental impact of these projects, which he says often deliver a legacy of economic hardship and health problems instead of prosperity for people living near the dams and downstream.'After dam construction, there is an immediate drop in water quality that destroys useful fish populations and poses a threat to

Originally published on Yahoo News DUJIANGYAN, China - Hundreds of dams around the epicenter of China's earthquake have been damaged and Chinese troops scrambled Wednesday to plug cracks and open sluices to prevent flooding of already devastated communities.The National Development Reform Commission, China's top economic planning body, said the earthquake had damaged 391 dams. It said two of the dams were large ones, 28 were medium-sized and the rest were small ones.The official Xinhua News Agency said 2,000 troops were sent to work on the Zipingpu dam, which lies on about 6 miles up the Min r

Originally published on CNN.com SICHUAN PROVINCE, China (CNN) -- China's death toll from a massive earthquake soared by thousands Wednesday as troops rushed to plug "severe cracks" in a dam upriver from one of the hardest hit cities. About 2,000 troops were sent to work on a dam near the epicenter of Monday's earthquake, state-run media reported. The Ministry of Water Resources said that an irrigation system and Dujiangyan City -- which has a population of about 630,000 -- "would be swamped," if major problems emerged at the dam, China.org said. The Zi

PHNOM PENH, May 11 (IPS) - The head of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) has defended the regional body against charges that it faces a crisis of credibility arising from inability to guide hydropower development on the Mekong mainstream.In an interview with IPS, Jeremy Bird, who took over as chief executive officer of the Vientiane-based organisation in late March, agreed that among the challenges facing the MRC, "obviously a key one relates to mainstream dams and some of the perceptions of the different players about these".His comments come as civil society groups intensify their criticism

Article from Vientiane Times The construction of the Nam Ngum 5 hydropower project in northern Laos officially began last Monday.The project is a joint venture between Sinohydro Corporation of China and Electricite du Laos (EDL) with a concession agreement of 25 years. After the end of the concession period, ownership of the plant will be transferred to the Lao government. The Nam Ngum 5 Power Company Ltd (NN5PC) organised a ceremony to mark the start of construction at the Don Chan Palace in Vientiane on April 28.The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affai

Article from China Economic Times (Translated from Chinese by Google Translate Beta and Kevin Li)China's Sinohydro Corporation, China Southern Power Grid Co. Ltd. andChina's Three Gorges Project Development Corporation held a formalsigning ceremony in Sinohydro's headquarter, on Myanmar's SalweenRiver strategic cooperation framework agreement.China's Sinohydro as the core team in the field of China's hydropowerconstruction has a wealth of experience in overseas investment inhydropower, mining and project contracting, and formed a strong brandand competitive advantage in the world. China Southe

The New York Times Choking on GrowthThis is the second in a series of articles and multimedia examining the human toll, global impact and political challenge of China's epic pollution crisis.SHIJIAZHUANG, China - Hundreds of feet below ground, the primary water source for this provincial capital of more than two million people is steadily running dry. The underground water table is sinking about four feet a year. Municipal wells have already drained two-thirds of the local groundwater.Above ground, this city in the North China Plain is having a party. Economic growth topped 11 percent last ye

The New York Times Choking on GrowthThis is the fourth in a series of articles and multimedia examining the human toll, global impact and political challenge of China's epic pollution crisis. JIANMIN VILLAGE, China - Last year, Chinese officials celebrated the completion of the Three Gorges Dam by releasing a list of 10 world records. As in: The Three Gorges is the world's biggest dam, biggest power plant and biggest consumer of dirt, stone, concrete and steel. Ever. Even the project's official tally of 1.13 million displaced people made the list as record No. 10.Today, the Communist Party is

Financial Times Taming China's longest river has been the dream of emperors and dictators for centuries. The first water diversion works on the Yangtze were built during the Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago and the Three Gorges dam was first proposed by Sun Yat-sen, the revolutionary father of modern China, nearly 100 years ago as a way to mitigate the river's frequent and devastating floods. The project was championed by Mao Zedong in the 1950s but decades of disastrous political blunders and fierce domestic opposition meant it would take another 50 years and the crushing of a nascent de

South China Morning Post In the warm glow of the winter sun, the Nu River appears calm at Chihengdi village in northwestern Yunnan province.But villager Hu Dawei knows that, beneath its tranquil surface, the river - literally "angry river" in Chinese - carries raging undercurrents that roar over rocks and rush through steep mountain valleys.A Protestant church deacon in remote Fugong county on the border with Myanmar, Mr Hu is worried his quiet life is about to change forever as rumours fly about the imminent damming of the river."Speculation has been rife again recently that a series of hydr