The Nu River – Will it outlast Wen Jiabao?
Lisu Women, Nu RiverOur season on the Jinsha River is drawing to a close. With the tragic earthquake in Yushu, its unclear if we will run trips on the Tongtian River this summer. Possibly, Last Descents will be organizing a trip to benefit earthquake reconstruction. But we still have no idea if infrastructure will be able to support our ecotourism efforts. Stay tuned for more information on our summer plans… Meanwhile, the Nu River continues to make headlines, as in today’s article in the Global Post (with a nice quote from our China Program Manager, Travis Winn, who met with the reporter while traveling in the Nu River Valley over the Chinese Spring Holiday). The Nu River is one river that – at least in western Yunnan – remains free flowing. It is rich with sub-tropical biodiversity, ethnic minority cultures, stunning scenery, and fantastic big water rapids. The local government would like to see it dammed; they see hydropower development as key to lifting the region out of poverty.
