Nearly 70 percent of water withdrawn in China is for agriculture, while 20 percent is withdrawn to mine, process, and consume coal. By 2020, China’s water use — driven in large part by the 30 percent expected increase in coal-fired power production — will increase dramatically.
Nearly 70 percent of water withdrawn in China is for agriculture, while 20 percent is withdrawn to mine, process, and consume coal. By 2020, China’s water use — driven in large part by the 30 percent expected increase in coal-fired power production — will increase dramatically.
Much of China’s food and coal production is located in its northern desert provinces, where Chinese climatologists and hydrologists say climate change is already disrupting patterns of rain and snowfall.
China’s global footprint isn’t just an economic one, it’s an environmental one. From BRI investments in Africa and Asia to its growing presence in Latin America, understanding China’s motivations, who stands to gain - and who stands to lose - is critical to informing smart US foreign policy. Read more
The Environmental Change and Security Program (ECSP) explores the connections between environmental change, health, and population dynamics and their links to conflict, human insecurity, and foreign policy. Read more
