Global Courant 2023-05-24 11:10:00
SINGAPORE — Climate-related disruptions to the crucial Hindu Kush Himalayan water system pose risks to economic development and energy security in 16 Asian countries, and concerted action is needed to protect regional water flows, researchers said Wednesday.
The basins of the 10 major rivers flowing from the Hindu Kush Himalayan water towers are home to 1.9 trillion people and generate US$4.3 trillion (S$5.8 trillion) in annual gross domestic product. already pose “serious threats,” said the China Water Risk think tank.
The researchers warned that all rivers would face “escalating and increasing water risks … if we fail to curb emissions” and that further construction of water-intensive energy infrastructure exacerbated the problems.
The 10 rivers include the Ganges and Brahmaputra which flow into India and Bangladesh, China’s Yangtze and Yellow rivers, as well as transboundary waterways such as the Mekong and the Salween.
They support nearly three-quarters of hydropower and 44 percent of coal-fired power in the 16 countries, which also include Afghanistan, Nepal and Southeast Asia.
As much as 865 gigawatts (GW) of power capacity along the 10 rivers is considered vulnerable to climate hazards, most of which depends on water. More than 300 GW — enough to power Japan — is in regions with “high” or “extremely high” water risks, the researchers added.
China’s Yangtze River basin, which supports about a third of the country’s population and about 15 percent of its power capacity, experienced a record-long drought in 2022, with plummeting hydropower production disrupting global supply chains.
Since the drought, governments have approved dozens of new coal plants to counter future hydropower disruptions. But coal-fired power also needs water, and capacity increases in China and India could further exacerbate shortages.
As climate risks increase, countries are under pressure to create policies that ensure energy and water security are “connected,” the researchers noted.
“Since energy choices can affect water and the lack of water can bog down power resources, water security must decide energy security,” they said. REUTERS
