Chinese: 气候变化

Pinyin: qìhòu biànhuà

http://www.blogactionday.org/

Pinyin: lǜ dìng cáo

English: Rating flume

Severe drought in northern and central China (Photo:xinhua.net)

North China has experienced since November, its most severe drought in its history. Evidenced by the Office of State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters that has increased the alert level to a maximum level (from Grade 2 to Grade 1 Emergency Response to drought), 2 days ago.

According to the same Office, about 9.6 million hectares of crops have been affected by the drought nationwide, or 2.6 million hectares more than the same period last winter, meaning that the creepy drought the North encounters for few months, is now a severe drought.
10.33 million hectares (43% of the country’s wheat) are affected, including 1/3 heavily affected (1% of winter crops lost). But this should not affect food security in China, according to Mr. Li Guoxian, from the Rural Development Institut. Also, “the drought is expected to reduce wheat production by less than five percent,” said Ma Wenfeng, an analysis with Beijing Orient Agribusiness Consultant. Drinking water supply is also affected: 4.29 million people and 2.07 of one million livestock encounter drinking water problems.

Since November, the lack of rainfall in northern and central China causing unprecedented drought. The China Meterological Administration figures this gap between 50% and 80% compared to previous years. At Luoyang (Henan), a 80% drop in rainfall is observed compared to 2007. According to official figures, the lower reservoirs of the Yellow River reach between 3.4 and 14.6 billion cubic meters.
On 5 February, the central government launched a financial assistance of 300 million RMB, in addition to a previous aid of 100 million RMB. President Hu Jintao urged local governments to provide funds to increase the means of protecting crops and irrigation. “It is of vital significance to the overall economy to boost steady growth of grain production and farmers’ income as China is in a key stage to cope with the global financial crisis.”
Example of Anhui who planned to spray all surfaces of cultivation (1.6 million hectares) by 15 February. 300 million yuan had been spent by local authorities for relief materials. In Henan, the government has allocated 555 million yuan and plans to irrigate 4.7 million hectares of crops within 10 days.
Saturday, the government decided to divert a portion of the waters of the Yellow River in Henan and Shandong, and the Yangtze in Jiangsu Province. The cloud seeding to create artificial rain is also expected because the low rainfall this weekend in Shandong are not enough.

In the english newspaper Guardian (2009/02/04), Ma Jun, director of the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs and author of China’s Water Crisis, said that to have more than 100 rainless days was a record in recent decades. But he added: “Water use in the region is not sustainable. We have seen rivers running dry because too much water has been diverted for farming and increasingly for urban and industrial use. We have seen the water table dropping steadily over the last three decades. Obviously this kind of drought adds insult to injury.”

From Le Monde, 2009/02/07: The intensity of the winter drought shows how China is vulnerable to the consequences of global warming: experts and Chinese and foreign environmentalists derive yet the alarm for years about the lack of structural water the country faces. Economic development at any cost, the lack of a more punitive tariff policy for consumers, pollution and inefficiency in agriculture have jeopardized its water safety and already broke the balance in the northern part of the country. Thus, irrigation in China continues to be practiced by flooding, a technique synonymous with waste of resources.

Premier Wen Jiabao inspects the growth of wheat at Yangbei Village (Photo:xinhua.net)

China to divert water from two longest rivers to ease drought – Xinhua.net

China fights worst drought in 50 years: articles, photos and videos – Xinhua.net

Chinese Premier Urges “Top Priority” on Drought Relief – China Radio Inernational

Rain, river diversion plans ease China drought – Reuters

Drought threatens Chinese wheat crop – Guardian

Une sécheresse sans précédent affecte le nord et le centre de la Chine – Le Monde

Today, Ma Jun embodies the conscience of the Chinese society who sees with concern that the development of its country is accomplishing by abusing nature. “Of course, economic growth plight millions of persons out of poverty, but at what price?” he wonders while stating: “60% of our rivers are polluted, the proliferation of dams destroys ecosystems, air quality is deplorable. This is simply unbearable. We can not continue to both respond to the explosion of domestic demand and be the factory for the rest of world. ”

Since 2006, when he established in Beijing the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs (IPE) – which published the online China Water Pollution Map -, Ma Jun has made the reporting of environmental crimes its main hobbyhorse. “We can not accept that foreign companies produce or make produced in our country in total disregard for the environment, we must set limits” he says. By gathering data on air and rivers pollution, published by local and state government, Ma Jun and his three colleagues have prepared a list of 30 000 local and foreign companies acting in violation of the law. This obviously had not attracted only friends, and Ma Jun acknowledges the pressure of companies or local governments unhappy with this bad press.

His next step: convince multinationals not to use subcontractors who pollute. And Ma Jun says it is very simple, it needs just a click. All the information are on his list: IPE website.

Article translated from the French newspaper LeMonde, Oct.22, 2008.

Ma Jun, un environnementaliste en colère dans “l’atelier du monde” – Le Monde Wednesday, Oct.22, 2008.

Ma Jun by Ed Norton – Time Sunday, Apr.16, 2006.

China Water Pollution Map

To assess the impact of water scarcity on human populations, the UK’s Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) in Wallingford and the University of Keele have developped since 2000 the Water Poverty Index. Its has been designed as a monitoring tool, based on 5 components:

So its includes both physical and -in a stronger way than the the Falkenmark Index (or ‘water stress index’)- socio-economic factors associated with water scarcity, as water poverty is linked to the human development. As a better water management can make a key contribution to poverty reduction, the WPI was designed to assess and monitoring the progress of the water sector at a municipality or district scale.

“The Water Poverty Index (WPI) was developed by a team of researchers, practitioners and stakeholders, led by CEH, to help to determine priorities for action and to monitor progress towards targets. The WPI is a holistic water management tool that is mainly relevant at the community level, but can also be applied at any spatial scale up to the basin or national levels.”
“This enables national and international organisations concerned with water provision and management to monitor both the resources available and the socio-economic factors which impact on access and use of those resources.”

The Water Poverty Index:an International Comparison

The Water Poverty Index: an International Comparison – Keele URL / Ref.:KERP 2002/19; Oct.2002

The Water Poverty Index – Centre for Ecology and Hydrology URL

Water scarcity: fact or fiction? Frank R. Rijsberman; 2007 – Science Direct URL

End Water Poverty Campaign website

Pinyin: jiànzhù gōngchéng zhǔchízhě

English: building owner

Pinyin: wěirènquán

English: concession

Here is the descriptive abstract.

“Healthy drinking water has become the world’s scarce resource. In China, water quality-induced water shortage is serious. With the improvement of people’s living standards, sales of drinking water have increased sharply, rising to 18.36 million tons in 2007 from 3.39 million tons in 1999. It is forecast that China’s sales of drinking water will exceed 30 million tons in 2010, and China’s drinking water market will continue to grow at a rate of over 10% annually in the following five to ten years.

Drinking water can be divided into several categories, including bottled water, barreled water, mineral water, purified water and distilled water. Barreled water has developed rapidly due to its advantages in purity, hygiene and convenience. In addition, its combination with water dispenser will be the rapidest growth point in the future drinking water industry.

From the perspective of market competition, MasterKong, Nongfu Spring, Wahaha and Robust are the leaders in the sector in China. In recent years, rapid growth of some medium-sized companies, such as Runtian, Maling and C’estbon have also had a fast growth, which deserve some concern. The report focuses on these companies.

Drinking water has very significant geographical features. Some factors like income level, company features and quality of water sources make drinking water in different regions has its own characteristics. Therefore, the report also makes a thorough study on drinking water market in some key regions in China.

In addition, the report makes an in-depth analysis on consumers, marketing strategy and key companies of drinking water sector, as well as associated industries of drinking water market. The report also gives you a full picture of current situation and development trend China’s drinking water sector in the coming years. “

From the Research and Markets Ltd website, China Drinking Water Market Report page link

Pinyin: zhèngfǔ jīngbàn

English: Regie control