Water Wars in the Middle Kingdom

Abstract: China’s government has warned that by 2030 the country will have exploited all available water supplies. Over 40% of the water in the seven largest river systems is too polluted for human consumption, and environmental degradation has begun to trigger civil unrest. China’s damming projects have provided a large and necessary reservoir of water and much needed hydropower, but at the cost of millions of internally displaced persons. Internationally, China and India remain at odds over disputed border territory, and China’s damming on the Tibetan Plateau is a cause of concern. Populations in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh rely on these rivers. Disrupting the water supply threatens the uneasy peace and could exacerbate existing tensions between India and China. Beijing has taken steps to reduce its impact on the environment, but demand has outpaced these efforts. China’s environmental security and water resource problems pose great challenges, but the sooner Beijing addresses these problems, the sooner it can achieve its goal of the “Chinese Dream.”