Month: <span>November 2016</span>

Kherlen River: Lifeline of the Eastern Steppe under threat

Report on biodiversity, water scarcity, and transboundary river basin management in fluctuating climate. Rivers without Boundaries Coalition continues documenting and analyzing transboundary basins of Dauria, hotspot of global biodiversity divided between China , Russia and Mongolia and not well known by the international community. New report is focusing on water …

NYT : Mongolian Dams can Contribute to the Ecological Crisis on Lake Baikal while Safe Alternatives are Available

Picture: Dams proposed by Mongolia in Lake Baikal basin. Rachel Nuwer published  in the New York Times a detailed report on the dire state of Lake Baikal caused by algal blooms and various forms of mismanagement. She also describes development of new hydropower in the basin as one of leading …

Construction of the Rogun Dam, the tallest and the most controversial, started in Tajikistan

Tajikistan on October 29th started construction of the controversial $3.9 billion USD Rogun hydropower dam on the Vakhsh River. The dam – designed with a height of 335m – is part of the 3600MW Rogun hydroelectric project (started in 1976), which may become the largest hydroelectric project in the region …

Habitat Loss – The Driving Force of 80% Decline in Aquatic Fauna

Thousands of river dolphins thrived in the Yangtze River only 50 years ago. By 1994, fewer than 100 individuals remained, and by 2006, the Yangtze dolphin had become extinct. Pollution, dam building and reckless navigation destroyed a proud branch on the tree of life in the blink of an eye. …