Tibet and Water Crisis in Asia
Dr Arvind Kumar* *President, India Water Foundation, New Delhi. The recent drought in southern China, the worst drought in past five decades, has dried up farmers’ fields and left tens of millions of people short of water. But the drought has also created a major public relations problem for the Chinese government in neighboring countries of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, all sharing Mekong River. Mekong River originates from Tibet and flows into South China Sea. According to a recent report published in New York Times, farmers and fishermen in countries sharing the Mekong River with China have lashed out at China over four dams that span the Chinese portion of the 3,000-mile river. China has reportedly launched a campaign to try to counter the perception that its dams are hijacking the Mekong’s water as the river runs from the Tibetan Plateau to the South China Sea. This has once again focused attention on Tibet wherefrom many rivers originating supply crucial water support to