WATER...

[rogerluli]

Of course China will not be alone in having increasing water problems in the coming years...

 

 

China will have exploited all available water supplies to the limit by 2030, the government has warned, ordering officials to prepare for worse to come as global warming and economic expansion drain lakes and rivers.

 

As well, a state newspaper warned on Friday that drought next year could hit crops and stoke already heady inflation.

 

China's surface and underground water supplies are under strain from feverish economic growth and a population passing 1.3 billion. And scarcity will worsen with global warming, the central government warned in a directive.

 

"In recent years economic and social development has led to increasing water demand, and with the impact of global warming, drought and water scarcity are increasingly grave," said a directive issued by the office of the State Council, or cabinet, late on Thursday.

 

"Taking into full account water-saving, by 2030 our country's water use will reach or approach the total volume of exploitable water resources, and the drought-fighting situation will be increasingly serious."

 

The document on the government Web site (www.gov.cn) urges officials to make emergency plans for coping with drought and promises more spending on water-saving technology and artificial rain-making. Local governments must also develop policies to aid and compensate drought-hit farmers.

 

China has about 7 percent of the planet's water resources to nourish a fifth of the global population, the government has estimated. Scientists have said that by 2030, China's potential grain output could fall by 10 percent, unless crop varieties and practices adapt to climate change.

 

China is at the centre of international talks in Bali struggling to agree on a framework for future negotiations on an international pact to fight global warming.

 

But drought is already a chronic burden for many farmers, especially in the country's west. An official newspaper said on Friday that drought next year could cut crops and stoke already heady inflation.

 

The country's consumer inflation hit an 11-year-high at 6.9 percent in November, fuelled largely by rising prices for foods.

 

The People's Daily, mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, said drought in the south in 2008 could add to pressure on the national "food basket."

 

"Localized regional drought is extremely likely to have the same effect as yanking one hair to pull the whole body," the report said, using a traditional saying.

 

With winter crops in southern China already hit by drought, the paper said, "we must take this seriously and avoid setting hidden perils for next year's agricultural production growth, especially cereals."

 

Contradicting officials' recent assurances that increased farm production next year was likely to dampen inflation, the People's Daily said extended drought in the south could drive down crop yields and drive up food prices.

 

"The problem of prices at the end of this year and early next merits serious attention," it said.

 

China could call on its massive stockpile of foreign exchange reserves, which stood at $1.455 trillion at the end of October, to shop around the world for more food, a planning official said on Thursday.

[MikeandRong]

Or we could always save them the snow we just got.

[Shenzhen K-1]

Of course China will not be alone in having increasing water problems in the coming years...

 

 

China will have exploited all available water supplies to the limit by 2030, the government has warned, ordering officials to prepare for worse to come as global warming and economic expansion drain lakes and rivers.

 

As well, a state newspaper warned on Friday that drought next year could hit crops and stoke already heady inflation.

 

China's surface and underground water supplies are under strain from feverish economic growth and a population passing 1.3 billion. And scarcity will worsen with global warming, the central government warned in a directive.

 

"In recent years economic and social development has led to increasing water demand, and with the impact of global warming, drought and water scarcity are increasingly grave," said a directive issued by the office of the State Council, or cabinet, late on Thursday.

 

"Taking into full account water-saving, by 2030 our country's water use will reach or approach the total volume of exploitable water resources, and the drought-fighting situation will be increasingly serious."

 

The document on the government Web site (www.gov.cn) urges officials to make emergency plans for coping with drought and promises more spending on water-saving technology and artificial rain-making. Local governments must also develop policies to aid and compensate drought-hit farmers.

 

China has about 7 percent of the planet's water resources to nourish a fifth of the global population, the government has estimated. Scientists have said that by 2030, China's potential grain output could fall by 10 percent, unless crop varieties and practices adapt to climate change.

 

China is at the centre of international talks in Bali struggling to agree on a framework for future negotiations on an international pact to fight global warming.

 

But drought is already a chronic burden for many farmers, especially in the country's west. An official newspaper said on Friday that drought next year could cut crops and stoke already heady inflation.

 

The country's consumer inflation hit an 11-year-high at 6.9 percent in November, fuelled largely by rising prices for foods.

 

The People's Daily, mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, said drought in the south in 2008 could add to pressure on the national "food basket."

 

"Localized regional drought is extremely likely to have the same effect as yanking one hair to pull the whole body," the report said, using a traditional saying.

 

With winter crops in southern China already hit by drought, the paper said, "we must take this seriously and avoid setting hidden perils for next year's agricultural production growth, especially cereals."

 

Contradicting officials' recent assurances that increased farm production next year was likely to dampen inflation, the People's Daily said extended drought in the south could drive down crop yields and drive up food prices.

 

"The problem of prices at the end of this year and early next merits serious attention," it said.

 

China could call on its massive stockpile of foreign exchange reserves, which stood at $1.455 trillion at the end of October, to shop around the world for more food, a planning official said on Thursday.

 

Very interesting, and Rog where do you come up with this stuff??

[rogerluli]

Of course China will not be alone in having increasing water problems in the coming years...

 

 

China will have exploited all available water supplies to the limit by 2030, the government has warned, ordering officials to prepare for worse to come as global warming and economic expansion drain lakes and rivers.

 

As well, a state newspaper warned on Friday that drought next year could hit crops and stoke already heady inflation.

 

China's surface and underground water supplies are under strain from feverish economic growth and a population passing 1.3 billion. And scarcity will worsen with global warming, the central government warned in a directive.

 

"In recent years economic and social development has led to increasing water demand, and with the impact of global warming, drought and water scarcity are increasingly grave," said a directive issued by the office of the State Council, or cabinet, late on Thursday.

 

"Taking into full account water-saving, by 2030 our country's water use will reach or approach the total volume of exploitable water resources, and the drought-fighting situation will be increasingly serious."

 

The document on the government Web site (www.gov.cn) urges officials to make emergency plans for coping with drought and promises more spending on water-saving technology and artificial rain-making. Local governments must also develop policies to aid and compensate drought-hit farmers.

 

China has about 7 percent of the planet's water resources to nourish a fifth of the global population, the government has estimated. Scientists have said that by 2030, China's potential grain output could fall by 10 percent, unless crop varieties and practices adapt to climate change.

 

China is at the centre of international talks in Bali struggling to agree on a framework for future negotiations on an international pact to fight global warming.

 

But drought is already a chronic burden for many farmers, especially in the country's west. An official newspaper said on Friday that drought next year could cut crops and stoke already heady inflation.

 

The country's consumer inflation hit an 11-year-high at 6.9 percent in November, fuelled largely by rising prices for foods.

 

The People's Daily, mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, said drought in the south in 2008 could add to pressure on the national "food basket."

 

"Localized regional drought is extremely likely to have the same effect as yanking one hair to pull the whole body," the report said, using a traditional saying.

 

With winter crops in southern China already hit by drought, the paper said, "we must take this seriously and avoid setting hidden perils for next year's agricultural production growth, especially cereals."

 

Contradicting officials' recent assurances that increased farm production next year was likely to dampen inflation, the People's Daily said extended drought in the south could drive down crop yields and drive up food prices.

 

"The problem of prices at the end of this year and early next merits serious attention," it said.

 

China could call on its massive stockpile of foreign exchange reserves, which stood at $1.455 trillion at the end of October, to shop around the world for more food, a planning official said on Thursday.

 

Very interesting, and Rog where do you come up with this stuff??

 

UMMMMMMMM I make it all up...

 

But seriously I could tell you but then I'd have to...

[lostinblue]

This will happen all over the globe. An article I read years ago stated that in the future wars will be fought over the control of water and water will be more important than oil.If you go back in history the southwest at one time had a 500 year drought. Water could change the geopoltical structure of the world .

[Don]

This will happen all over the globe. An article I read years ago stated that in the future wars will be fought over the control of water and water will be more important than oil.If you go back in history the southwest at one time had a 500 year drought. Water could change the geopoltical structure of the world .

 

 

 

As the price of clean water rises, more sources will become available. A big one are the oceans. Desal works, but cost a bit more. The inland areas will have more troulbe.

[Shenzhen K-1]

This will happen all over the globe. An article I read years ago stated that in the future wars will be fought over the control of water and water will be more important than oil.If you go back in history the southwest at one time had a 500 year drought. Water could change the geopoltical structure of the world .

 

 

 

As the price of clean water rises, more sources will become available. A big one are the oceans. Desal works, but cost a bit more. The inland areas will have more troulbe.

 

Just look at Atlanta this year, they got on the court house lawn and "prayed " for rain!!

[Corbin]

And I don't want all of you water hungry states come looking at the Great Lakes. You can't have any of it, so sorry.

[danb]

Hi, I was reading this post without signing in. When I did sign in I was amazed at how differently the post looked.

The water shortage in China will not only affect China but the world. China consumes much of what she produces agriculturely. She does export some food products. The price of any product's that she does export will certainly rise if she needs to pay more for her water to produce that food product. Already as the Chinese level of income is rising they are spending more money on food and dairy products. If there are domestic rice shortages due to water shortages the Chinese will probably buy rice from the world market. What will happen to price of rice? It will go up. Not only in Beijing but in New York also. This will be true for other agriculture products. I am wonder how much we should worry about China's water problems. Danb

[rogerluli]

A look at some of China's water shortages from the Beijing Review...

 

A rare long drought has had severe consequences across China and brought up difficult questions about the cause

 

 

"Guilin tops the world in landscape" is a well-accepted saying for Chinese people. Guilin is a city and tourist resort in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and attracts many people because of its charming beauty, and Lijiang River, which is known as the "Golden Waterway."

 

On December 11, 2007, a team of tourists from China's southern Jiangsu Province was shocked and disappointed at the sight of Lijiang River, dry with its riverbed exposed to the air. The scene was a result of a rare local drought that began in early autumn 2007.

 

According to the statistics from the meteorological bureau of Guilin City, the rainfall in October and November of 2007 in Guilin was only 11 mm, the lowest since 1979, and around 90 percent lower than the average rainfall of the corresponding period in recent years. The water level of Lijiang River had dropped sharply as a result, leaving some sections totally dry, and shrinking the sightseeing area of Lijiang River from 83 km to just 10 km.

 

Severe Drought

 

The situation of Lijiang River is not a special case in China. Many places now suffer from long droughts, which are rare in Chinese history.

 

Wei Weiguo lives on the fourth floor of a building in Dongxiang County, China's southern Jiangxi Province. He cannot get water from the taps in his house for more than 20 days in the winter, and has to go down to the first floor to fetch water.

 

The water supply of Dongxiang County comes mainly from two reservoirs since the quality of groundwater in the area is low. Last year, however, rainfall of the county was just 70 percent of the average level of recent years. After September, the situation deteriorated with no rain at all. One reservoir has already dried up and the second has becomes the only water supply for the whole county. Even in the second reservoir, water now occupies just 15 percent of the total volume, only 50 percent of that in 2003, when China also suffered from a rare drought.

 

Dongxiang County is just a small part of Jiangxi Province, which is suffering badly from a long drought that began in July. As a province that is usually hit by floods in summer, the heavy drought was unexpected. From the middle of September to early of December, the average rainfall for the whole province was just 38 mm, the lowest since 1960. Water in the region's main rivers reached its lowest recorded level in the history.

 

Boyang Lake, the biggest freshwater lake of China, located in the northwest of Jiangxi Province, has been thirsty for a long time. The water area of the lake now is less than 50 square km, well below its usual winter level.

 

Jiangxi Province's neighbors, Hunan Province and Guangdong Province, face the same situation.

 

Hu Pengyu is a boat owner in Chenzhou, Hunan Province. He is worried about his boat, which has been stranded in Xiangjiang River for more than 20 days. Hu said it is the first time in 20 years of business that his boat has been stranded for such a long time.

 

A two-month drought in Hunan Province has decreased the depth of Xiangjiang River significantly, especially for the section from Changsha to Zhuzhou, where it has dropped from 2 meters to 1.3 meters. Kiloton ships and oil tankers are forbidden from passing this stretch of the river. All this has made it difficult for the factories to purchase materials and sell products. More than 300,000 tons of products are in storage and oil supplies have become a problem.

 

There are altogether 780 counties in Hunan Province that are suffering from drought. More than 6 million mu (400,000 hectare) of crops have been destroyed and 80,000 people cannot get enough drinking water. More than 1,500 reservoirs have become dry. Hydroelectric stations cannot work well due to water shortages, and the electricity produced is not enough to meet demand.

 

The influence of the drought on shipping along the river is more obvious in the Yangtze River. There have been 10 times of ships being stranded on the Yangtze River since October 2007.

 

Between September 21 and December 20, rainfall in most areas of south China was much less than that in recent years. The average rainfall in Hunan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou and Fujian Province was just 73.1 mm, the second lowest figure since 1951. Until early December, the severe drought had already affected more than 3 million people and 2.5 million cattle in the six provinces mentioned above.

 

Behind the drought

 

Compared with 2003, the drought of this winter is not that serious, but the water level in many rivers is much lower. Some experts believe that the large number of small-scale illegal hydroelectric stations built on the upper reaches of the river should shoulder most of the responsibility for this. Taking Jiangxi for example, some enterprises in recent years have randomly explored the water and electricity resources by building illegally as many as 133 hydroelectric stations and the number is still increasing. The stations have forcibly occupied large amount of water resources, especially during drought periods, and have stopped the flow of water in upper reaches to produce electricity, leading to les water in lower reaches of the river.

 

Meanwhile, in those regions that are suffering from water shortages, the regional governments have either failed to set up a water emergency system or used government plans. Since south China has always had high levels of rainfall, the main concern of regional governments is how to ensure water supply when the water is heavily polluted. Drought is a rare concern.

 

The water supply infrastructure in the region is also too simple to successfully hold water. Longtan Reservoir is the main reservoir for Le'an County of Jiangxi Province, but for decades there has been just one shabby earth dam, which can only trap 100,000 tons of water. In drought times it cannot even meet the basic demands of local people, not to mention supplying water for agriculture.

[SheLikesME?]

Roger,

The ultimate sacrifice, put Kohler out of business. Bag your fertilizer folks.

[DMikeS4321]

Of course China will not be alone in having increasing water problems in the coming years...

 

 

China will have exploited all available water supplies to the limit by 2030, the government has warned, ordering officials to prepare for worse to come as global warming and economic expansion drain lakes and rivers.

 

As well, a state newspaper warned on Friday that drought next year could hit crops and stoke already heady inflation.

 

China's surface and underground water supplies are under strain from feverish economic growth and a population passing 1.3 billion. And scarcity will worsen with global warming, the central government warned in a directive.

 

"In recent years economic and social development has led to increasing water demand, and with the impact of global warming, drought and water scarcity are increasingly grave," said a directive issued by the office of the State Council, or cabinet, late on Thursday.

 

"Taking into full account water-saving, by 2030 our country's water use will reach or approach the total volume of exploitable water resources, and the drought-fighting situation will be increasingly serious."

 

The document on the government Web site (www.gov.cn) urges officials to make emergency plans for coping with drought and promises more spending on water-saving technology and artificial rain-making. Local governments must also develop policies to aid and compensate drought-hit farmers.

 

China has about 7 percent of the planet's water resources to nourish a fifth of the global population, the government has estimated. Scientists have said that by 2030, China's potential grain output could fall by 10 percent, unless crop varieties and practices adapt to climate change.

 

China is at the centre of international talks in Bali struggling to agree on a framework for future negotiations on an international pact to fight global warming.

 

But drought is already a chronic burden for many farmers, especially in the country's west. An official newspaper said on Friday that drought next year could cut crops and stoke already heady inflation.

 

The country's consumer inflation hit an 11-year-high at 6.9 percent in November, fuelled largely by rising prices for foods.

 

The People's Daily, mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, said drought in the south in 2008 could add to pressure on the national "food basket."

 

"Localized regional drought is extremely likely to have the same effect as yanking one hair to pull the whole body," the report said, using a traditional saying.

 

With winter crops in southern China already hit by drought, the paper said, "we must take this seriously and avoid setting hidden perils for next year's agricultural production growth, especially cereals."

 

Contradicting officials' recent assurances that increased farm production next year was likely to dampen inflation, the People's Daily said extended drought in the south could drive down crop yields and drive up food prices.

 

"The problem of prices at the end of this year and early next merits serious attention," it said.

 

China could call on its massive stockpile of foreign exchange reserves, which stood at $1.455 trillion at the end of October, to shop around the world for more food, a planning official said on Thursday.

 

Very interesting, and Rog where do you come up with this stuff?? B)

 

Yeah, where DO you come up with this stuff?

[DMikeS4321]

Of course China will not be alone in having increasing water problems in the coming years...

 

Desalination. If the populous coastal metro centers can utilize desalination plants, the surface and ground water supplies can continue to supply interior human and agricultural uses.

 

As global warming breaks up the ice pack, giant icebergs can be towed into coastal waters to provide even less expensive fresh water. Those icebergs can also be used for air conditioning and refrigeration.

 

I first read about this 40 years ago. The cost of moving the ice soutward via towline would be FAR lower and have much less environmental impact than our current methods of providing cooling and refrigeration. If I remember correctly, it seems a 1/2 mile diameter "ice cube" could provide all of the cooling needs for a city the size of New York for an entire summer season. That's what I remember, anyway.

 

The ice is going to melt anyway...

[Corbin]

Of course China will not be alone in having increasing water problems in the coming years...

 

Desalination. If the populous coastal metro centers can utilize desalination plants, the surface and ground water supplies can continue to supply interior human and agricultural uses.

 

As global warming breaks up the ice pack, giant icebergs can be towed into coastal waters to provide even less expensive fresh water. Those icebergs can also be used for air conditioning and refrigeration.

 

I first read about this 40 years ago. The cost of moving the ice soutward via towline would be FAR lower and have much less environmental impact than our current methods of providing cooling and refrigeration. If I remember correctly, it seems a 1/2 mile diameter "ice cube" could provide all of the cooling needs for a city the size of New York for an entire summer season. That's what I remember, anyway.

 

The ice is going to melt anyway...

One wrinkle in your idea. All of that fresh water put in to the salt water causes some big problems. It effects the oceans currents if I remember correctly. When the ocean currents are effected the overall temperature of the ocean drops. This may not seem like a big deal until you take into account the oceans control much of our weather patterns. With a drop in ocean temp we would go from global warming to ice age. B)

 

Seems kind of backwards I know................

[warpedbored]

And I don't want all of you water hungry states come looking at the Great Lakes. You can't have any of it, so sorry.

Same goes for us up here in Orygun. You Califunkies can't have it.