China has been facing a water crisis for a number of years but it was only recently that the issue burst on to a wider stage. The occasion was a large explosion at a chemicals plant in Jilin, in the north-east, that sent 100 tonnes of benzene into the nearby Songhua river.

Although company officials immediately admitted to the accident, the authorities in the city of Harbin, 200km down-river, were not so forthcoming. With an 80-km slick of toxic chemicals heading towards the city, the local government turned off the Harbin water supply for four days, claiming it needed maintenance. When it later admitted the shut-down was due to the chemicals accident, thousands fled.