Yang: 【2】Possible affects

The Yangtze River in China is the third largest in the world. The Chinese call the river Chang Jiang, which means “Long River." With more than 30 industrial cities along the coast, this river provides about 70% of the inland water transportation. In addition to the industrial cities, the river runs through more than 25% of the agricultural farmlands and supports about a third of the population in the country, which has great economic, cultural, and political importance to China.

The controversial Three Gorges Project (TGP) had been proposed for three reasons: to produce more efficient hydroelectric power (power generation) for the country; flood control; waterway navigation purposes.

Although the great amount of hydroelectric power produced would benefit the country, there are many controversial issues about the TGP. By building a gigantic dam across the Yangtze River, it would create significant impacts on the river itself and affect the living people along the coast. With the TGP under way, there would be a submergence of the local coastal cities. About one million innocent civilians would be displaced to local inland urban cities. The integration of the two populations would cause an over crowding and social disruption to the local existing community. However, the main concerns of the TGP are the negative environmental impacts that the project would create.

However, the environmental effects outweigh the social impacts. The disruption of the environment and the ecosystem would alter the natural capital of China. These environmental drawbacks include: water pollution, fish migration, inundation, landslides, sedimentation, ground water contamination, soil erosion, water loss of the "great lakes" of China, ground water contamination of Shang Hai, eutrophication, and an outbreak of water borne disease.

On the other hand, as 19 countries would be affected by the TGP, this in turn would affect a total population of 14 million people. A possible worldwide impact, an "economic and social disaster" would have to be taken into consideration. However, within the general vicinity, resettlement of 727,000 people will have to take place due to the submerging of towns and urban centers. The relocation of the population would not only affect the people socially, but also economically in the end. In addition to the submerging of towns and urban centers, historical sites (dating back to 10,000 B.C.) will also be submerged. As for the economic concerns, China would be drastically affected by the agricultural shifts. Vital farmlands would be submerged and so will coal mines and metal mines worth millions of dollars. With a decrease in land availability due to the submergence, the lack of replenishment of land would affect the industry and the agriculture of the country.

An analysis of how these impacts would affect the society, environment, and the economic stability have to be taken into consideration. However, if no isolation of a single benefit from the TGP can be made, proposals would have to take place, which are about alternative roots to fulfill the demand for energy (hydroelectric power), flood control, and navigation within the water systems of China.

(NASA's animation of China's Three Gorges Dam construction over the years.)

Reference:

"All About the Three Gorges Dam." Sherwood Institute

            <http://www.sherwoodinstitute.org/all-about-the-three-gorges-dam/>.

"ASIANOW - Asiaweek." ASIANOW - Asiaweek

            <http://www-cgi.cnn.com/ASIANOW/asiaweek/96/0719/ed2.html>.

"Chinese Dam Projects Criticized for Their Human Cost." International Rivers <http://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/chinese-dam-projects-criticized-for-their-human-cost-2978>.