Olympics: Beijing Blooms As China Dries Up

China currently has a $25 billion water redirection scheme in progress, ahead of the Olympic games. The north of the country where Beijing in situated is quite arid and doesn't have a lot of natural water, so the authorities set about changing the course of major rivers to bring the water in.

However, it isn't just needed to service the amenities in the Olympic villages and to keep it clean. Millions of gallons of water are needed to flush out Beijing's drains, lakes and rivers and get them smelling fresh again.

Farmers in the Southern areas around the capital are suffering because of this. Many have been told to stop using local water supplies and directed to dig wells.

In one particular case the well has already reached 135 feet in depth and the groundwater is disappearing almost as fast as they can dig. These poor farmers have to dig wells in order to get water for their meagre crops because the main supply has been diverted to Beijing.

Ecologists fear that this redirection of rivers, particularly the giant Hebei River, will have far reaching consequences for the environment. Some of the factories that cause the most pollution in Beijing have been closed down, or moved out to other areas, in the drive to show the world what a green city Beijing is. Although this may benefit the city temporarily it is badly affecting the environment in other areas.

This redirection of water to service the Olympics and to clean up the city is costing China's economy vast sums of money and each new redirection project only increases the demand for water elsewhere. The long term consequences of this over spending and concentration of effort on one area only, could have far reaching economic and social repercussions in a country where lack of water and food shortages are already an underlying problem.

Water consumption in Beijing has doubled in the last ten years with the increasing move towards urbanisation. Peasants and farmers, unable to make a living, are gravitating to the city in search of work. Expansion is already too rapid for the available utilities, even without the additional burden of the Olympic Games.

There is unlikely to be any signs of water shortage during the Olympics but experts predict that it could take up to a hundred years to replace the water in the underground sources and restore the water table.

According to Greenpeace and other authorities on these matters, China has 617 major cities and more than half of these have major problems with water shortages. Billions of tons of untreated waste water is run into rivers and lakes every year and 300 million people don't have a safe drinking water supply but the golf courses of Beijing take 21,900 feet of water each year to keep them green.

Obviously, the Olympic Games is not solely responsible for drying up China. A vast amount of water would be diverted to Beijing even without the games. The population of the city continues to rise as people flood in, searching for work. This redirection of water started long before the start of the efforts to build a 'Beautiful Beijing' to impress the world at the Olympics.

Naturally enough, the eyes of the International community will be on China and Beijing wants to look good.