waterways

"Water, Policy and Governance"

The focus of this paper is on identifying some of the key elements of water policy and governance presented at the 5th IWHA Conference ‘Pasts and Futures of Water.’ The paper also explores the challenges and opportunities facing the international community for living up to the principles of democratic water governance in a context of increasing global uncertainty.

"Modernisation with Local Characteristics: Development Efforts and the Environment on the Zoige Grass and Wetlands, 1949-2005"

This study is an overview of the state-led development projects and local efforts to ‘improve’ local conditions on the Zoige grass and wetlands on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau since 1949 and their impact on the regional ecological and social environment. It focuses on historical state-led development projects, as well as more recent efforts to raise environmental awareness of the importance of Chinese wetlands.

The Panama Canal

The Panama Canal opens for shipping on 15 August 1914. This 77.1 kilometer canal connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean across the Isthmus of Panama. It eliminates the need for ships to make a long and hazardous detour around Cape Horn and provides a much faster and safer route between the two oceans.

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The Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami of 1964

Cochabamba Water Wars

After the World Bank provisions required the privatization of Bolivia’s water system in return for economic assistance, high water prices and the effective monopoly over water rights spurs residents to organize, mobilize, and combat the legislation.

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Fresh Kills: The Making and Unmaking of a Wastescape

Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, New York, was the subject of a struggle over where to dispose of the waste of a city strapped for space. While the landfill was closed in 2001, the events of 9/11 and the need to clear the large amounts of rubble and human remains from the site of the Twin Towers attack turned Fresh Kills into hallowed ground, which posed new questions about the future of the site.