Skip to main content

China’s ancient irrigation system under threat


One of China’s most recognized ancient oases – the Karez – is a construction marvel built by the Uyghur people. The water harvesting and underground transmission system called a Karez (which means well in the Uygur language) provides a sustainable water supply to some communities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Region (Xinjiang) as well as in some countries like Iraq, Iran and Kurdistan.

The irrigation method carries glacial groundwater to the Turpan Basin from the eastern side of Tianshan Mountains. The water streams through a maze of underground tunnels to avoid evaporation. The water ultimately connects to more than one thousand wells.

Although Turpan is the world’s largest producer of raisins due to the Karez, challenges remain. Silt accumulation and high demand for water from nearby factories threaten the water supply.

Furthermore, with the site’s potential to become a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Chinese government has invested CNY45 million to protect it since 2009.

Will China’s ancient Uyghur irrigation system be able to survive and thrive?

https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/chinas-ancient-irrigation-system-under-threat/

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

FIFA World Cup 2018 holds lessons for successful team building

The FIFA World Cup 2018 is widely seen as one of the best World Cups in recent memory, with many surprises and goals aplenty. One talking point was the role of teamwork as opposed to just superstar talent. What lessons can businesses learn from the beautiful game? Leon Perera, CEO of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his thoughts in The Business Times – Views from the Top section on 23 July 2018. As World Cup fever draws to an end, the game lived up to its hype with breath-taking goals and outstanding performances. Perera highlighted the role of 'team effort' over mere individual talent, which was evident in the early failure of teams with world-class superstars like Argentina and Portugal. Perera also pointed out the importance of investing in new talent pipeline development, which paid rich dividends for France, the winning team and also one of the youngest teams in the World Cup. The game also highlighted the role of risk-taking. A relentless approach t...

China’s measured reaction to US trade tariffs

The recent US trade tariff announcement will impact Chinese imports worth USD60 billion. Will China’s reaction and the prospect of continuing tit-for-tat tariff hikes cause more panic across global markets? Leon Perera, CEO of Spire Research and Consulting, shared his thoughts in China Daily – Asia Weekly. As the US Treasury explores restrictions on Chinese investment in the country, the value of stocks plunged across Asian markets. Industries that might come under more scrutiny for possible higher trade tariffs include maritime equipment, new materials, automated machine robotics and tools along with new advanced information technology and high-tech shipping to name a few. Voicing concern, Perera pointed out that China’s focus will still be on minimizing an escalation of mutual tariff hikes. China has hugely benefitted from global trade and FDI flows. However, China is clearly prepared to pursue retaliatory tariffs of its own for strategic reasons – it has announced tar...

Spire talks about emerging Tech Retail trends in ASEAN

Spire was honored to participate at the GATES Consumer Channel Summit, Southeast Asia, 2019. The Summit was held on 20-22 March, in Bangkok. Hafidz Omar, Thailand Country Manager at Spire Research and Consulting, shared his insights on key trends in consumer tech and challenges encountered in ASEAN. Omar discussed how the IOT (Internet of Things) is impacting the retail industry in ASEAN countries. He also discussed the growth opportunities in geofencing, mobile payment and retail operations, to name a few recent innovations in retail technology. With the expansion of Geofencing technology (defined by GPS or RFID technology) , in the next five years retailers will be able to customize merchandise and promotions according to the customer profile. Online payment is still a challenge for e-commerce retailers in Asia-Pacific as most customers prefer cash on delivery and 73 per cent of the Southeast Asia’s population do not own a bank account. However mobile payment may be a s...

Australia’s food and beverage industry looks upbeat

One out of every three manufacturing jobs in Australia is in the food and grocery sector, which directly employs around 300,000 people. The food and beverage market in Australia is climbing greater heights, buoyed by a growing population with an appetite for good food. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Office of Spire Research and Consulting, highlighted the key opportunities in this sector during his presentation at the Sydney Franchise and Business Expo in August 2015. As the population of Australia is set to reach 23.5 million in 2014, the food and beverage industry looks upbeat. A major portion of the population is present in the cities, like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The weekly average household spending per person on restaurant meals in these cities is AUD32 –a ripe market opportunity. Bahar opined that food industry growth is directly proportional to the number of food outlets. With 58,602 commercial outlets and 15,954 institutionalized outlets recorde...

Asia-Pacific nations poised to sign the world’s largest multi-lateral trade agreement, RCEP, in 2020

After six years of negotiations, more than a dozen countries in the Asia-Pacific are poised to sign the world’s largest trade agreement, known as the Regional Comprehensive Partnership (RCEP), in 2020. This agreement would boost commerce among participating countries by lowering tariffs as well as standardizing customs rules and procedures. The RCEP will widen market access, especially for those countries that do not have existing many bilateral trade agreements in place. Will India pay a price for its decision to stay out of the RCEP? Read more:  https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/asia-pacific-nations-poised-to-sign-the-worlds-largest-multi-lateral-trade-agreement-rcep-in-2020/