China’s Looming Water Crisis

Water scarcity is threatening the social and economic stability in China. Some Chinese officials have warned that water shortages could endanger the country’s very existence. Even the goliath South North Water Transfer Project won’t prove adequate to relieve water scarcity for millions in China’s northern provinces – including the populations of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. In a thorough and detailed article for Chinadialogue, Charlie Parton, a leading expert on Chinese politics, lays out the facts and outlines a holistic approach to mitigating the impending crisis. Price rationing could cause unemployment and inflation, but Parton argues that the brewing water crisis requires desperate measures.