In northern China, water supplies are running low after a period of drought and the land is desertifying. Much of the problem is due to high water consumption by Beijing’s large and growing population. Not only that, but the industrialization of China over the last few years has produced unprecedented levels of pollution that has rendered the Yellow River unsafe to drink from. In order to slow the falling water supply and provide the area with drinkable water, the Chinese government has begun its most expensive water project since the Three Gorges Dam to divert billions of gallons of water from the Yangtze River to the south to feed the north. Much before the ecological effects were felt, civil unrest was caused by the forced relocation of about 350,000 villagers. These people have been displaced from their ancestral homes and forced to live off poor farmland that has no facilities or utilities. Aside from that, the diversion of the Yangtze River puts that body of water at risk as well. Rather than divert a second river for the north to use up, environmental activists and scientists suggest that the government reduce the immegration to Beijing, control the city’s population, and encourage water conservation practices. Not only will the project have negative ecological effects on the affected areas and upset the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of peasants, but it gives the northern, city-dwelling population the misconception that they can use and use without concequences. If the Yangtze River dries up eventually, they can simply rely on the government, which is increasingly favoring the city populations over rural inhabitants, to provide a solution.
Proponents of the project argue that the situation in the north is critical, and that the government is out of options. Some scientists are looking into desalination methods, but such solutions are expensive and inefficient. Others sa y that the government should spend money promoting water conservation, river cleaning, and environmental regulations on polluting companies.
Really, the conflict is between the rural, farmer population and the growing city population. With the government taking more and more from the countryside and giving it to the cities, the standard of living for peasant farmers is decreasing while that of the city residents is increasing. As a result, immigration rates to major cities in China is growing rapidly, magnifying the problem. More people will immigrate to the cities for better work and living conditions, and will consume more resources. If the government’s solution is to take resources from the poor to stem the usage of resources, this problem will feed itself and become a vicious cycle. Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/world/asia/02water.html?pagewanted=all
