
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
Explores the growing water supply crisis through an ethnographic study of a rural minority community in China threatened by climate change.
China is experiencing climate whiplash—extreme fluctuations between drought and flooding—that threatens the health and autonomy of millions of people. Set against mounting anxiety over the future of global water supplies, Cutting the Mass Line explores the enduring political, technical, and ethical project of making water available to human communities and ecosystems in a time of drought, infrastructural disrepair, and environmental breakdown.
Anthropologist Andrea E. Pia explores essential questions of how to manage water resources from the vantage point of Huize County, a water-challenged, ecologically damaged, multi-ethnic area in rural Yunnan Province. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, archival materials, and statistical data, Pia brings readers inside the inner workings of China's complex water supply ecosystem by exploring the intricate relationships among Chinese water services agencies; water user associations; dam construction sites; party cadres and rural entrepreneurs, mediators, and farmers; and foreign development planners.
The climate crisis and the global politics of sustainability and mitigation offer unanticipated leeway for experimental grassroots intrusions in what has traditionally been the sphere of elite regulatory action: water allocation and distribution. Rural residents' efforts to keep access to local water sources and flourish in their own communities are moving the political possibilities of climate and environmental collective action in exciting and unforeseen directions. As the world grapples with challenges to water quality, supply, and control, the impacts of China's resource management strategies will be a provocative and useful study for the future.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction
- 1 Timelines
- 2 Gridlines
- 3 Lifelines
- 4 Seams
- 5 Cracks
- Conclusion
- Appendix. Mandarin Chinese Terms and Their Logograms
- Notes
- References
- Index