The question comes up again and again. Is the Three Gorges Dam safe and is it harmful to society? During and after the completion of the Dam, many complications may arise. The first concern is the environment.
The dam will have an enormous effect on wildlife and plant life. The resevoir will flood the Three Gorges canyon and stretch over 350 miles long. Around 70 species of fish are estimated to be killed off due to the change in water temperature, the surrounding environment, and lack of recources. (2) The canyon that will be flooded has also inspired chinese poets and peasents for past centuries. Wildlife that has adapted to its environment along the Yangtze river will be forced off its homeland and be forced to adapt to a new environment. Also nearly 80% of cities do not have sewage systems and it is much cheaper to dump toxins from factories and sewage into the river. (Now that there will be a resevoir, the moving waters can not flush the toxins downstream, thus trapping them in the resevoir. This will create an extinction zone for life. There are assumptions also that since the dam and resevoir are so large, the sediment build up may become overloaded creating bedloads. This can hinder ships from moving through the upriver entrance, thus slowing down trade. (5)
One of the biggest concerns for millions of people is Resettlement. The Three Gorges Dam will cause over one million people to move out of their homes to government funded resetllemnt villages. More than 320 villages,140 towns, 13 cities, and 955 business enterpises will be covered by the resevoir.(5) Of this land, 54,000 acres of good farmland and 17,000 acres of forest will be destroyed. (5) This land also is the foundation of China's heritage for it accomadates many temples, shrines, and chinese artifacts that are thousands of years old. The peasents and villagers are being located most likely at lower standard of living where the soil and farming is poor. For most of these Chinese, farming is their way of living and taking this away from them can destroy their income and families.
Though the dam is going to be a historical
landmark, it is located over a fault line and is at serious risk
from earthquakes and landslides. China itsels does not have a
great reputation for dam building, and if something were to go
wrong, it would be the worst destruction ever. The Three Gorges
Dam may also lead to corruption by villagers being relocated,
inflation in the economy and land value, and destruction of millions
if the inevitable occurred. (2)
- Gives information of the damage the Three Gorges Dam will have on the environment
-Talks about the negative and positive effects the Dam had on the environment and population.
China's Controversial Three Gorges Dam Looks Unstoppable
- Gives insight on the effects of the dam and why it will still be built.
- a campaign that protests against the construction of the Three Gorges dam and gives speeches from leading protesters.