China Dialogue reports that the Three Parallel Rivers area in Yunnan are at risk of losing its World Heritage Status from UNESCO is development plans are carried out:
The “yellow card” has been shown, and the site is now at risk of seeing that final red card. But why? One reason that the committee stated was a lack of openness and transparency.
Local government in the area is currently pushing ahead with a number of hydroelectric projects. The new acting governor of the province, Qin Guangrong, was quoted last November as saying: “Hydroelectricity in Yunnan, particularly in the Three Rivers area, will affect 12 prefectures and cities in the province — 62% of its population and 70% of its area — and holds an important position in regional economic development.” [Full text]
Meanwhile, the Washington Post has a lengthy report on the effects of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze in a year of massive flooding.
