Managing the Yellow River: Questions of borders, boundaries and access

Abstract

The Yellow River Basin is the site of myriad water resource problems. Some of these have geomorphic causes, such as seasonally variable flow, very high sediment load and a capacity to flood with devastating effect. However, the problems of managing the Yellow River now also reflect the ways in which people use water. Reductions in the quantity and quality of water in relation to human demands limit the attainment of things that people value, like good health, economic growth and employment. Nowadays, the Yellow River Basin is a region of water scarcity, pollution (Lohmar et al. 2003; SEPA 2002) and risk of flood (Li and Finlayson 1993; Mei and Dregne 2001).