2012-07-26
Reminder about Beijing's frailty
“(
Beijing
) is one of the driest cities in the world, where the water table sinks a meter
every year. The heavens rarely open, and for every drop of rain that does fall,
three times as much evaporates from the pale, barren earth.
Water is the No I problem facing
China
at the moment,” said Yu Kongjian, a landscape architect and environmental
campaigner. “If things keep going as they are, in about
20 years
China
will have to move its capital from
Beijing
because of the lack of clean water — it’s simply that serious.”
Academic
Peter Droege, author of The Renewable
City — a Comprehensive Guide to a New Urban Revolution, said; “The
situation is dire and about to get much worse. Global warming will have an
impact but
Beijing
’s ... secret is an over-dependence on coal and nuclear power and antiquated
‘flush-and- forget’ water technology. It’s time for
Beijing
to adapt or die.” --HK
South
China
Morning Post, Sept. 23, 2006
Beijing
is on the edge of the world's second largest desert, the Gobi.
Water for Beijing has been an historical problem