Darrin Magee

Darrin MageeProfessor of Environmental Studies

Joined faculty in 2008

Ph.D., Geography, University of Washington, 2006
M.A., China Studies, University of Washington, 1998
B.S., Mathematics, Louisiana State University, 1994
B.A., French (minor Italian), Louisiana State University, 1994

Contact Information

451 Pulteney StreetPhone (315) 781-3364Personal Homepage

Research

China Energy and Environment
Hydroelectricity (large projects, transboundary rivers)
Energy Efficiency (in conjunction with Rocky Mountain Institute)
South-North Water Diversion
Water quality and quantity issues

Courses Taught

Environment and Development in East Asia
Geography of Garbage
Senior Integrative Experience
Topics in Environmental Studies: Energy
Topics in Environmental Studies: Water

Publications

Articles in Refereed Journals
Hennig, Thomas and Darrin Magee (2017). “Comment on ‘An index-based framework for assessing patterns and trends in river fragmentation and flow regulation by global dams at multiple scales.’” Environmental Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aa5dc6

Hennig, Thomas, Wenling Wang, Darrin Magee, and Daming He (2016). “Yunnan’s Fast-Paced Large Hydropower Development: A Powershed-Based Approach to Critically Assessing Generation and Consumption Paradigms.” Water 8(10), doi:10.3390/w8100476. Available at http://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/8/10/476/html.

Magee, Darrin. (2015). “Hydropower and End-Use Electrical Efficiency in China: State Support and Potential Contribution to Low-Carbon Development.” Copenhagen Journal of Asian Studies 33(1), pp. 64-89. Available at http://rauli.cbs.dk/index.php/cjas/article/view/4812.

Magee, Darrin. (December 2013) “The Politics of Water in Rural China: A Review of English-language Scholarship.” Journal of Peasant Studies 40 (6), pp. 1189-1208.  Available at http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/fjps20/40/6#.UsYrIfRDuSp.

Drennen, Tom and Darrin Magee (2012/2013). “Nuclear Power Prospects in a Post-Tsunami East Asia.” China Environment Series 12, pp. 99-101. Available at http://go.wilsoncenter.org/219MVU6430000s8004zAB00.

Tullos, Desiree, Bryan Tilt, Darrin Magee, Aaron Wolf, Eric Foster-Moore, Eddie Schmitt, Francis Gassert, and Kelly Kibler (2013). “Biophysical, socioeconomic and geopolitical vulnerabilities to hydropower development on the Nu River, China.” Ecology and Society 18 (3). Available at http://dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-05465-180316.

Magee, Darrin (2011). “China is My Backyard: China’s Environmental Degradation in a Global Context.” Georgetown Journal of International Affairs 12.2, pp. 120-128.

Tullos, Desiree, Philip. H. Brown, Kelly Kibler, Darrin Magee, Bryan Tilt, Aaron Wolf. (2010). Perspectives on the salience and magnitude of dam impacts for hydro development scenarios in China. Water Alternatives 3(2), 71-90.

Brown, Philip, Desiree Tullos, Bryan Tilt, Darrin Magee, and Aaron Wolf. (2009). "Modeling the costs and benefits of dam construction from a multidisciplinary perspective." Journal of Environmental Management 90 (Supp. 3), pp. S303-311.

McNally, Amy, Darrin Magee, and Aaron Wolf. (2009) "Hydropower and Sustainability: Resilience and Vulnerability in China's Powersheds." Journal of Environmental Management 90 (Supp. 3), pp. S286-S293.

Magee, Darrin and Kristen McDonald. (2009/2006*). "Beyond Three Gorges: Nu River Hydropower and Energy Decision Politics in China." Asian Geographer 25(1-2), pp. 39-60. (*Published in 2009 but dated 2006 in order to fit with publication cycle.)

Brown, Philip, Darrin Magee, Yilin Xu. (2008). "Socioeconomic vulnerability in China's hydropower development." China Economic Review 19 (4), pp. 614-627.

Magee, Darrin. (2006). "Powershed Politics: Yunnan Hydropower under Great Western Development." The China Quarterly 185, pp. 23-41.

He, Daming, Yan Feng, Shu Gan, Darrin Magee, and Weiyong You. (2006). "Transboundary hydrological effects of dam construction on the Lancang River." Chinese Science Bulletin, 51(Supp 16-24).

Book Chapters
Hennig, Thomas and Darrin Magee (2021). “The Water-Energy Nexus of Southwest China’s Rapid Hydropower Development: Challenges and Trade-Offs in the Interaction Between Hydropower Generation and Utilisation” in Rousseau, Jean-François and Sabrina Habich-Sobiegalla (Eds.), The Political Economy of Hydropower in Southwest China and Beyond. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 25-48.

Magee, Darrin (2021). “Technical and Policy Constraints on the Role of Chinese Hydropower in a Renewable Mekong Region” in Rousseau, Jean-François and Sabrina Habich-Sobiegalla (Eds.), The Political Economy of Hydropower in Southwest China and Beyond. Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 193-214.

Magee, Darrin (2021). “Environmental Challenges” in Kaup, Katherine Palmer (Ed.), Understanding Contemporary Asia Pacific, 2nd Edition. Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers, pp. 265-292.

Kinne, Beth and Darrin Magee (2020). “United States Nexus Policy and Law” in Saundry, Peter and Ben Ruddell (Eds.), Introduction to the Food-Energy-Water Nexus (Springer).

Kinne, Beth, Darrin Magee, Bruce McCarl, Rabi Mohtar, Robert Richardson, Benjamin L. Ruddell, Peter Saundry, and Lara Treemore-Spears (2020). “Opportunities at the Nexus.” Saundry, Peter and Ben Ruddell (Eds.), Introduction to the Food-Energy-Water Nexus (Springer).

Magee, Darrin (2018). “Introduction to Sustainable Development in Asia.” In Sara Hsu (Ed.) Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Development in Asia (New York: Routledge), pp. 1-18.

Magee, Darrin and Beth Kinne. (2015). “Energy: Changing the Rules with Efficiency and Renewables.” In Cerny, Astrid (ed.), Sustainability: Global Issues, Global Perspectives (Cognella).

Magee, Darrin. (2015). “Waste Management: Rethinking Garbage in a Throwaway World.” In Cerny, Astrid (ed.), Sustainability: Global Issues, Global Perspectives (Cognella), pp. 57-78.

Magee, Darrin. (2014). “Dams in East Asia: Controlling Water but Creating Problems.” In Harris, Paul and Graeme Lang (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Environment and Society in Asia (London: Routledge), pp. 216-236.

Magee, Darrin. (2012) “The Dragon Upstream: China’s Role in Lancang-Mekong Development.” In Öjendal, Joakim, Stina Hansson, and Sofie Hellberg (Eds.), Politics and Development in a Transboundary Watershed: The Case of the Lower Mekong Basin (New York: Springer), pp. 171-194.

Magee, Darrin. (2011) "Moving the River: China's South-to-North Water Transfer" In Brunn, Stanley (Ed.), Engineering Earth: The Impacts of Megaengineering Projects (Kluwer).

Magee, Darrin and Shawn Kelley. (2009) "Damming the Salween River." In Molle, Francois, Pech Sokhem, Tira Foran, and Mira Kakonen (Eds.), Shaping Waterscapes in the Mekong Region (London: Earthscan).

Magee, Darrin. (2007) "Rewiring Large-scale Hydropower: Reforms and Restructuring." In Schumacher-Voelker, Emma and Brigitte Mueller (Eds.), BusinessFocus China: Energy (Shanghai: German Industry and Commerce), pp. 152-159.

Book & Film Reviews
Magee, Darrin (2009). Review of Yung Chang, "Up the Yangtze" (documentary film). In Asian Educational Media Service.

Magee, Darrin. (December 2008). Review of N. Okamoto and T. Ihara (Eds.), Spatial Structure and Regional Development in China: An Interregional Input-Output Approach. In Regional Studies vol. 42 no. 10, pp. 1401-1403.

Magee, Darrin. (March 2008). Review of Steven Erie (with Harold Brackman), Beyond Chinatown: The Metropolitan Water District, Growth, and the Environment in Southern California. In Regional Studies vol. 42 no. 2, pp. 298-299.

Magee, Darrin. (May 2006). Review of Karl S. Zimmerer and Thomas J. Bassett (eds.), Political Ecology: An Integrative Approach to Geography and Environment-Development Studies.. In Regional Studies vol. 40 no. 3, pp. 428-429.

Magee, Darrin. (July 2005). Review of Lu Ding and William Neilson (eds.), China's West Region Development: Domestic Strategies and Global Implications. In Regional Studies vol. 39 no. 5., pp. 674-675.

Research Reports & Conference Proceedings
Feng, Yan and Darrin Magee (2009). "Hyolitical Vulnerability and Resilience in International River Basins in China." In Hyolitical Vulnerability and Resilience along International Waters: Europe, North America and Asia. United Nations Environment Programme.

Magee, Darrin. (March 2005). The Science of China's Hydropower. Conference Proceedings: Role of Water Sciences in Transboundary River Basin Management (Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand).

He, Daming, Weiyong You, & Darrin Magee. (March 2005). Correlation and Multi-Timescale Characteristics of the Lancang River's Monthly Flow Variations in Yunnan. Conference Proceedings: Role of Water Sciences in Transbo

Other Publications
Magee, Darrin (2021). “Is China serious about its climate commitments or just blowing smoke?”. Shuddhashar Freevoice. Available at https://shuddhashar.com/is-china-serious-about-its-climate-commitments-or-just-blowing-smoke/

Magee, Darrin and Thomas Hennig (2017). “Hydropower boom in southwestern China outpaces regional electricity demand.” The Third Pole. Available at https://www.thethirdpole.net/2017/04/28/hydropower-boom-in-china-and-along-asias-rivers-outpaces-regional-electricity-demand/

Kibler, Kelly, Desirée Tullos, Bryan Tilt, Aaron Wolf, Darrin Magee, Francis Gassert (2014). “Vulnerabilities to hydropower development on the Nu River, China.” Global Water Forum 30 June 2014. Available at http://www.globalwaterforum.org/2014/06/30/vulnerabilities-to-hydropower-development-on-the-nu-river-china/

Magee, Darrin. “China fails to build trust with Mekong neighbours.” The Third Pole 24 July 2013. Available at https://www.thethirdpole.net/2013/07/24/china-fails-to-build-trust-with-mekong-neighbours/