The Yellow River of China

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that the Yellow River or Huanghe is the second longest river in the world. The writer points out that the river rises in Tibet and journeys for 5,464 kilometers through North China. The writer discusses that the Yellow River is the source of life for Northern China, where 43% of the population lives. Further the writer points out that it is this river in China, which has been subjected to the strongest influence of human activities. With brisk economic spurts and the expansion of population along the River basin, the writer notes that waste water release has increased in unexpected and unprecedented levels.The writer discusses that today, the lack of adequate water supply, especially in the Yellow River region, is among China's biggest problems.

From the Paper:

"The Yellow River is the source of life for Northern China, where 43% of the population lives. Yet it has only 14% of the country's water supply. Cities and communities have crowded along the River, in the hope of partaking with the rewards of growth and prosperity. The national policy also encourages it. The threat of flooding has already characterized the River from the beginning. Recent conditions present a further threat to the River's capability of sustaining the overcrowding and its consequences. The region's major cities are growing rapidly. In Ningxia alone, centuries of irrigation have created an oasis. For centuries, its farmers have believed that the Yellow River is a great gift to them and viewed it as an endless resource. Water demand has risen in the area and air pollution has reportedly reached alarming levels. Today, the lack of adequate water supply, especially in the Yellow River region, is among China's biggest problems."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Business and Finance. China to Spend $9.7-B to Prevent Silting Up of Yellow River. Asian Economic News. (Kyodo News International, Inc., June 10, 2005)
• Current Events. China's Woes - Consequences of Economic Growth. (Weekly Reader, 2004)
• Jiongxin, Xu. Effects of Human Activities on Overall Trend of Sedimentation in the Lower Yellow River, China. Environmental Management Journal, volume 33 number 5. (INIST-CNRS, 2004), pp 637-653
• Yardley, Jim, et al. Water, Once Plentiful in China's Ningxia Region, Becomes a Scarce Resource. International Herald Tribune. (The International Herald Tribune, November 20, 2006)
• Federal Reserve Division. Country Profile: China. (Library of Congress, August 2006)Retrieved April 23, 2007 from http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/China.pdf

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