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1、1Geography Case Study - Chang JiangCons and Pros of the Three Gorges Project2IntroductionnChinas massive Three Gorges hydroelectric project has generated plenty of controversy from the start. It was first proposed in 1919 by revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen as a way of providing energy to fuel the n

2、ations industrial development. The plan was revived in 1954 as a way to control the chronic overflow of the legendary Yangtze river after tens of thousands were killed in widespread flooding. After several false starts, work began in earnest in 1979. nAdvocates say Chinas development depends on it.

3、They say it will provide a clean source of energy for future generations. But critics say it could be a monumental ecological disaster. nThe dams sluice gates were closed on June 1, 2003, allowing the reservoir behind it to begin filling. By June 10, 2003, the water was 135 metres deep, and its expe

4、cted to be 175 metres deep by 2009. 3FactsnThe 16-year project is due to be completed in 2009.nThe rivers level is expected to rise to 175 metres.nBy mid-June 2003 the dam was holding back 12 billion cubic metres of water. The dams storage capacity is nearly 40 billion cubic metres.nIt will create a

5、 658-sq.-km reservoir.nIts concrete wall is 192 metres high.nIt has a total of 22 sluice gates.nIt will have 26 700-megawatt turbine generators. They are expected to produce 18.2 million kilowatts by 2009. Eleven of the reactors were in place as of January 2005.nIt has the worlds largest lock system

6、, 6?kilometres in length. The lock lifts and lowers ships in five stages.nThe dam is located in Yichang, in the central province of Hubei.nIts Chinas biggest engineering project since the Great Wall was built more than 2,000 years ago.nTotal projected cost: 180 billion yuan ($26.5 billion).4Location

7、 of Sanxia5nA man fishes as water flows through water diversion holes of the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in central Chinas Hubei Province, June 11, 2003. Some 10 water diversion holes were opened to release water. The water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir reached 135 metres (433 feet)

8、on June 10. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Du Huaju)6nTwo men carry bricks to a barge at the temporary dock at Wushan, in the middle of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River in central China, June 6, 2003. Lower lying areas of the town have been demolished in preparation for the increase in the water level as th

9、e controversial Three Gorges Dam reservoir begins to fill. (AP Photo/Greg Baker)7nA Chinese man sits in the rubble of the demolished old town of Wushan, as he looks out over the citys temporary dock on the Yangtze River in central China, June 6, 2003. (AP Photo/Greg Baker8nWorkers build a stone emba

10、nkment as water from the Yangtze River rise up the shoreline at the newly built town of Fengjie, in central Chinas Chongqing municipality, June 9, 2003. The old town of Fengjie was demolished because it was below the high water mark of the reservoir of the Three Gorges Dam. (AP Photo/Greg Baker) 9nT

11、hree young boys watch as rising waters inundate a corn field at Qutang Village, near Fengjie, in central Chinas Chongqing municipality, June 9, 2003. Water levels have been rising between two and four metres each day since China began filling the reservoir. Despite warnings from local officials that

12、 waters would rise in June, many farmers planted crops because they were unsure of where the high water mark was on their land, while others did not believe that waters could rise so high. (AP Photo/Greg Baker) 10nShips sail through the Xiling Gorge of the Three Gorges on the Yangtze River in centra

13、l China, June 11, 2003. The water level of the Three Gorges Reservoir reached 135 metres (433 feet) June 10, five days ahead of the schedule. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Cheng Min) 11nThe aerial photo, taken on June 3, 2003, shows the Three Gorges Reservoir on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River at Yichan

14、g, Hubei province. The water level reached, as planned, 114.29 metres high on the sluice gate. (AP Photo Xinhua, Cheng Min) 12nHydroelectric generating sets of the Three Gorges Project in central Chinas Hubei Province are shown in this April 9, 2003 photo. Four of the hydroelectric generating sets,

15、which are in the final phase of installation and test, will be put into operation later this year. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Du Huaju) 13nWater flows through water diversion holes at the bottom of the Three Gorges dam, June 1, 2003. Chinas Three Gorges Project officially began to store water as the sluice g

16、ate of the dam started to be closed as scheduled. China began filling the reservoir behind its gargantuan Three Gorges Dam in a major step toward completion of the world-largest hydroelectric project. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Cheng Min) 14nA man rushes to board a boat before it leaves, in Chongqing city, o

17、n the Yangtze River in central China, June 5, 2003. Though more than 600 kilometres (372 miles) from the Three Gorges Dam, water levels at Chongqing will rise up to 15 metres when the dams reservoir is filled to its highest level on completion in 2009. (AP Photo/Greg Baker) 15PROS16Flood controlThe

18、reservoirs 22 km (28.9 billion cubic yard)flood storage capacity will lessen the frequencyof big downstream floods from once every 10years to once every 100 years. It protects lifeand property.17NavigationThe installation of ship locks are intended to increase river shipping from 10 million to 50mil

19、lion tons annually, with transportation costs cut by 30 to 37 percent. Cheap andconvenient river transport will be provided. Also,shipping will become safer, since the gorgeshave lower flowing speed of channel.18AgricultureThe reservoir stores up the water that can bediverted to irrigate farmland. I

20、t increases cropproduction and exports of surplus farm produce,e.g. citrus fruits.19Energy and EnvironmentlThe dam will generate 18,200 megawatts of Hydroelectric power, the equivalent of 18 nuclear powerplants. It will facilitate industrial and economicdevelopment. lChina now relies on coal for of

21、its electricity. Its airis among the foulest in the world and contributes toglobal warming. Hydro-electric power is arenewable energy source that does not generatewaste. It improves air pollution.20Water SupplyDams can store rain water or water directlyfrom the river itself. Then, in case of a droug

22、ht,the dam will still have a relatively constantsupply of water. 21ResettlementIn 1996, floods displaced more than one millionpeople from their homes. Besides, 180 millionpeople are now without electricity in China. But 15 million people downstream will be betteroff due to the control of flood and t

23、he supply ofcheap electricity. Also, population distribution tonewly-opened area, e.g. higher ground of thedam, will be present.22Recreation and TourismThe project provides recreational activities suchas boating fishing and swimming, if the lake isnot being used for drinking water. Also, cruiseships

24、 will be able to sail at all time. Thus, thedam will serve as a new tourist spot.23ReputationThe Three Gorges will be the most powerfuldam ever built. This is an important politicalstatus symbol for China.24CONS25Resettlement nAbout 1.3 million people will eventually be relocated from 1,400 villages

25、 in the area. By June 2003, 720,000 people, from farmers to fishermen, had been displaced. In addition to the hardship of resettlement, critics say people are being moved to far less fertile land.26Pollution nThe resettled people have left dozens of deserted towns in their wake. The buildings includ

26、e hospitals and abandoned industrial sites. Environmentalists say refuse from those sites will seep out and contaminate the water.27Ecology/Archeology nClimate experts say the humidity and temperature will increase around the dam, causing unknown impact to the ecosystem. The Yangtze basin supports f

27、ish, wild fowl and plants, some of which are endangered. The area slated to be submerged is famous for its breathtaking scenery and is home to archeological sites including burial grounds and ancient temples.28Efficiency nCritics say a series of smaller dams would have fulfilled the countrys energy

28、needs with less impact on the environment.29Corruption nThe project has been plagued by charges of nepotism and inefficiency. After a number of high-profile accidents, the government ordered much of the infrastructure replaced in 1999.30nConcerns have surfaced about the dam itself. There are some fa

29、cts to prove. Firstly, allegations of corruption among officials involved with the project have raised fears of shoddy construction. The Chinese media recently reported several incidents in which corruption and poor construction have led to disasters at major building projects. Notable among the rep

30、orts was the collapse of a steel bridge in the city of Chongqing in January 1999 that killed 40 people. 31nSuch incidents also have prompted rare open criticism from the Chinese leadership regarding the Three Gorges Dam. In early 1999 Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji inspected the dam site. He warned thos

31、e involved in the project that the responsibility on your shoulders is heavier than a mountain. Any carelessness or negligence will bring disaster to our future generations and cause irretrievable losses. Zhu also suggested China might invite top international engineers to inspect the dam and monito

32、r its construction. Chinese leaders have long dreamed of taming the Yangzi for power generation and flood control. The rivers infamous floods have brought destruction and death for centuries - 1 million deaths in the 20th century alone 32nDai calls Three Gorges the most environmentally and socially

33、destructive project in the world. She also calls for a halt to construction and supports the idea of a series of smaller, less disruptive construction projects on tributaries of the Yangzi. nMoreover, of further concern are claims the dam might become an environmental disaster. There have been littl

34、e to no attempts made toward removing accumulations of toxic materials and other potential pollutants from industrial sites that will be inundated. Experts say such materials could leach into the reservoir, creating a health hazard. Besides, the relative lack of waste treatment plants in China also

35、could mean run-off from communities around the dam would most likely go untreated directly into the reservoir and into the Yangzi. 33nBy severing the mighty river and slowing the flow of its water, the dam will cause pollution from industrial and residential sources to concentrate in the river, rath

36、er than be flushed out at sea, writes Chinese journalist Jin Hui in The River Dragon Has Come! a recently published collection of criticisms against the dam. The result will be a poisoned river. Electrical power derived from the dams turbines will provide up to one-ninth of Chinas output, the govern

37、ment estimates 34nNot only these, there are also claims that the dam will actually contribute to the silt accumulation in the Yangzi, rather than allow larger ships to travel the river. nAnd others dispute whether the electricity generated by the dam will be efficiently used. nIn terms of an America

38、n scale, this dam is somewhat akin to the electrical load between Philadelphia and Washington D.C. being served from a single power plant. nByrne is skeptical whether the huge amount of electricity expected to be generated by the Three Gorges project - meant to produce power for Chongqing and places

39、 as far away as Shanghai - can be efficiently and economically absorbed by Chinas electrical system. 35nThe social element of Three Gorges has generated more questions than answers. The dam will drown more than 100 towns once the water starts to rise in 2003. Government estimates say 1.2 million peo

40、ple will be resettled and that new land is being provided for 300,000 farmers. Some observers say the government may be underestimating by as many as 700,000 the number of people who actually will be relocated. The Three Gorges Dam project will require the resettlement of 1.2 million people, accordi

41、ng to the government, although observers say that estimate may be short by as many as 700,000 people 36nThe issue of the farmland, much of which has been tilled by the same Chinese families for centuries and will be lost under the reservoirs waters, is particularly important, Byrne says. nOne of the

42、 tragedies of this project, if just from a regional standpoint, is that the land that is going to be flooded is some of the most fertile in China, says Byrne. The land to where the population is to be relocated is much less fertile. nHistorians also have questioned the dams impact on attempts to preserve some aspects of Chinas long and illustrious history. Archaeologists and historians have estimated nearly 1,300 important sites will disappear under the rese