Beijing Olympics taking water from the countryside

The Beijing Olympics will open shortly. Most of the locations for the events are ready, and the authorities in the Chinese capital have planted millions of trees in recent years to make sure these games are also 'green'. But all that greenery needs water, and that has to be imported from other Chinese provinces.

Prominent Chinese journalist Dai Qing - whose work has been banned from publication in China since 1989, and who is best known for her opposition to the Three Gorges dam project - has the explanation: "Why is this? Because there simply isn't enough water."

Recently, a report on the water situation was published. It was written by Ms Dai together with Probe International, a Canadian environmental group, and a number of Chinese experts who prefer to remain anonymous. Ms Dai writes in the report:
"The Beijing water crisis is the result of decades of short-sighted policies. The map of Beijing shows more than 200 rivers and streams, but in reality they are nearly all dry. And the Beijing water sources, once known for their sweet-tasting water, have all disappeared."

Radio Netherlands Worldwide