Three Gorges Dam on Yangtze River

Dams and The Drive to Develop One of the most common features in the drive to development is the construction of riverine dams Purposes are usually threefold: hydroelectricity, irrigation and flood prevention But costs are huge and displacement of settlements is often significant Environmental considerations also abound

DAMS AND HYDRO POWER IN CHINA China gets FIVE percent of it energy and TWENTY percent of its electricity from hydro energy. China already has many dams and has plans to build more. WORLD DAMS: 1) China (45 percent); 2) the United States (14 percent); 3) India (9 percent); 4) Japan (6 percent); Other countries (26 percent). China boasts nearly half of the world’s 50,000 large dams—three times more than the United States —and construction continues. Twenty major dams punctuate the Yellow River and another 18 are scheduled to be built by 2030. Sanmenxia

Today, China has more than 20,000 dams over 49 feet high – the most of any country in the world. The world’s three largest dams: Three Gorges (China) 18,200 megawatts Itaipu, Brazil and Paraguay 12,600 megawatts Grand Coulee Dam (U.S., Washington State) 10,000 megawatts

Reasons to Build Dam Improve navigation along the Yangtze River (It is a major Highway for movement of coal, other goods and people) Prevent seasonal flooding which used to cause loss of life and property along river. Provide hydroelectric power desperately needed energy for growing population Reduce dependence on coal with environmental and health and safety issues

History Due to economic and environmental impacts 1919- The Three Gorges projects was first mentioned Work was halted and restarted many times December 14, 1993: US Bureau of Reclamation terminated the agreement for technical services Due to economic and environmental impacts In 1994, the Chinese government began construction on the Three Gorges Dam. At 1.4 miles long and 630 feet high (roughly the height of a 50-story building), it is the world's largest dam. It produced a giant lake, or reservoir, 350 miles long and holds more than a trillion gallons of water.

General Facts Took 17 Years to complete Cost about $59 billion World’s largest hydroelectric project Generates 22.5 gig watts of power Enough to power Pakistan or Switzerland Equivalent to about 20 nuclear power plants or 10 big coal-fired power statin burning 50 million tons of coal The resulting 400 mile long reservoir will supply enough water to generate 84 billion kilowatts-per-hour of electricity. It is the largest construction project since the Great Wall

Size of the Wall The dam wall is made of concrete and is about 1.4 miles long and 607 feet tall The wall is 115 metres (377.3 ft) thick on the bottom and 40 metres (131.2 ft) thick on top. The project used 27,200,000 cubic meters of concrete, 463,000 tonnes of steel, enough to build 63 Eiffel Towers, and moved about 102,600,000 cubic metres of earth.

Satellite View of Three Gorges Dam Three Gorges Dam crossing Yangtze River at Sandouping, Yichang, Hubei province, China.

Ship lock consist of 5 locks each: 918 ft. long 35 ft. wide With a water depth of 16.4 ft.

Construction of the Dam

Construction In order for the dam to be created, millions have to be relocated and many cities and town will have to be completely destroyed When the dam is filled all of theses cities will be completely flooded

Where do people from these places go? As the dam fills and the valley is flooded, towns and villages like this on the hillside are at risk of being destroyed. Where do people from these places go? As the dam fills and the valley is flooded, towns and villages like this on the hillside are at risk of being destroyed. Where do people from these places go?

The city of Wuchan will be flooded to the red arrow line when the reservoir is completely filled. The water level will be elevated 574 ft. above Yangtze River surface.

Towns and villages have had to be destroyed to build the dam.

Building the dam – how has the dam affected these people?

This is what the dam looks like now.

The dam beginning to be filled.

Displaced people are moved up the slopes or sent to other areas of China. -Families separated -New bridges replace submerged ones -New building often on old landslip areas due to shortage of flat land for building

Flooded Towns being replaced by new apartments above the 175 m water level

Collecting garbage from the flooded cities

Reservoir Induced Landslides caused by buildup of groundwater inside sediments along side of Gorge.

Positives/Benefits of Dam

Before the dam…Floods on the Yangtze killed more than 300,000 people in the twentieth century, with many more dying from starvation which followed crop failure in the flood plain.

Before the dam…The most serious floods in recent years were in 1998 Before the dam…The most serious floods in recent years were in 1998. Then 14 million were made homeless, 5 million houses were destroyed, 25 million hectares of farmland were affected, $20 billion worth of damage was caused and more than 3000 people died.

Before the dam…Navigating the river is very dangerous especially through the Three Gorge Section when water levels are low. When the river is in flood , it flows dangerously fast. This will improve BENEFIT

Positives Cost:The dam is within budget, and updating the transmission grid will increase demand for its electricity and allow the dam to pay for itself Resettlement: 15 million people downstream will be better off due to electricity and flood control. Environment: Hydroelectric power is cleaner than coal burning and safer than nuclear plants, and steps will be taken to protect the environment Culture: Many historical relics are being moved, and the scenery will not change that much Navigation: Shipping will become faster, cheaper and safer as the rapid waters are tamed and ship locks are installed. Power Gen:The alternatives are not viable yet and there is a huge potential demand for the relatively cheap hydroelectricity Flood Control: The huge flood storage capacity will lessen the frequency of major floods. The risk that the dam will increase flooding is remote

Positives: Flooding Control By storing waters that would have caused floods, the long-term benefits are endless. This massive effort will allow the government to control the river's chronic flooding, which caused more than 2,000 deaths in 1998 and left nearly 14 million people homeless. Improved flood protection along the Yangtze River Control flooding downstream on the East China Plain. Every so often these plains are devastated by a major flood where a thousand people die, a million lose their homes and 5 million have to be rescued. The government built dozens of sewage and garbage treatment plants. Since, 1951 run-off in the Yangtze Basin has decreased by over one third.

Positives: Flooding Control In 1998 flooding in the area expected to be controlled by the dam resulted in 4,000 dead, 14 million left homeless and $24 billion in economic loss. Historically, the people living along the Yangtze have suffered tremendous losses due to flooding In 1954, 30, 000 more died in the floods or from diseases brought on by the flooding and 19 million people were affected directly or indirectly and part of the railway could not function for 100 days Lessen the frequency of large floods from once in 10 years to once in 100 years.

Positives: End Water Shortage Issue It will produce a giant lake, or reservoir, 350 miles long and hold more than a trillion gallons of water. The reservoir will increase water availability There will be more water available for irrigation, industrial uses, and human consumption in the Yangtze River Basin and in water-deficient northern China to about 400 million people

Positives: New Tourism In addition, ocean vessels will be able to travel farther inland, which will boost trade and tourism, and hydroelectric power from the dam will generate inexpensive electricity, thereby cutting greenhouse gas emissions and the use of coal and fossil fuels. Reservoir will boost tourism because tourists can reach natural views and vistas by the locks that they were not able to do before.

Positives: Navigation and More Trade Moves water to the arid north. Improves shipping so the ocean-going ships can reach Chongqing. By building the dam, it increases the depth of the Yangtze River and would allow ships to travel 6000 kilometers farther upstream River shipping through central Yangtze estimated to increase from 10 million to 50 million tons a yr., with transportation costs cut by 30-37%

Positives: Navigation and More Trade In 2006, 50 million more tons of cargo moved through the system up from 18 million tons before the dam was built In 2007, the 50 million was exceeded Shipping costs should drop by 35 to 37% The ship locks system is the largest in the world and will allow larger ships to travel carrying more cargo The navigation locks allow 10,000 ton ships to travel the river, where before ships carrying only 1,500 tons were limited.

Positives: Ship Locks/ Ship Lifts two ship locks is made up of five stages four hours in total to transit vessel capacity of 10,000 t locks are 280 m long, 35 m wide and 5 m deep increase river shipping from ten million to 100 million t annually transportation costs cut by 30% shipping is safer freight capacity of the river increased six times cost of shipping was reduced by 25% Ship Lifts lifting ships of up to 3,000 t vertical distance 113 m, size of the ship lift's basin is 120x18x3.5 m the ship lift will take 40 minutes ship lift had to be designed to work properly even if the water levels varied by 12 m on the lower side, and 30 m on the upper side cconstruction started in 2007 and will be completed in 2014

Positives: Power Source It would supply much needed electrical power for development. The electricity generated by the Three Gorges Dam will reportedly illuminate half of China Its 26 700-megawatt turbine generators have a productions capacity equal to the energy produced by 18 nuclear plants or the burning of 40 million tons of coal. Will provide energy to 60 million residents currently without power. Hydroelectric is cleaner than coal burning and nuclear waste. Ozone protected from greenhouse gas emissions. When complete, the project will generate one ninths of China’s power. It is the world’s biggest man-made produce of electricity from renewable energy.

Positives: Power Source The Three Gorges Dam is to be an anchor in a string of hydropower “megabases” planned for the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River. By 2020, China wants to nearly triple its hydroelectric power. Hydropower is one of China’s richest and least tapped energy resources. Presently, China only uses about ¼ of its hydropower potential.

Positives: Power Source It is believed if the Three Gorges Dam produced electricity at full capacity it would prevent the Chinese people from: Burning more than 50 million tons of coal a year Producing more than 100 million tons of carbon dioxide Producing more than 1.2 to 2 million tons of sulfur dioxide Producing more than 10,000 tons of carbon monoxide All contributing to the air pollution problems in China To ease its addiction to coal which accounts for 67% of China’s energy supply and pollutes horribly, China wants 15% of the country’s energy consumption to come from renewable resources by 2020. Presently, it is about 7.5%.

Positives: Reduction of Emission Reduces: the coal consumption by 31 million t/year 100 million t of greenhouse gas millions t of dust one million t of sulfur dioxide 370,000 t of nitric oxide 10,000 t of carbon monoxide significant amount of mercury transport about 31 million t of coal

Hydroelectric Power: Pros Vs Cons Once the dam is built, the energy is virtually free. The dams are very expensive to build. However, many dams are also used for flood control or irrigation, so building costs can be shared. No waste or pollution produced. Building a large dam will flood a very large area upstream, causing problems for animals that used to live there. Much more reliable than wind, solar or wave power. Finding a suitable site can be difficult - the impact on residents and the environment may be unacceptable. Water can be stored above the dam ready to cope with peaks in demand. Water quality and quantity downstream can be affected, which can have an impact on plant life. Hydro-electric power stations can increase to full power very quickly, unlike other power stations. Electricity can be generated constantly.

Hydroelectric Power A dam is built to trap water, usually in a valley where there is an existing lake. Water is allowed to flow through tunnels in the dam, to turn turbines and thus drive generators. Notice that the dam is much thicker at the bottom than at the top, because the pressure of the water increases with depth. Hydro-electric power stations can produce a great deal of power very cheaply.

The HEP station will generate electricity equivalent to 18 nuclear power stations. 14 % of China’s power. It will reduce coal burning by 50 million tons and carbon dioxide emissions by 100 million tones) A massive new grid will have to be built to transmit the electricity to other cities. How improve Quality of Life? (Social) How reduce pollution? (Environmental) How help create factory jobs? (Economic)

Positives: Revenue Generated Dams are a huge business in China China has acquired the know-how to build large hydropower schemes, and has begun exporting similar projects around the world Giant utilities that build them are funded with government and private investment money When the corporation building the Three Gorges Dam publicly listed in 2003, on the stock market, their share prices surged by 45% and the company raised nearly 1.2 billion dollars in one day

The government hopes to impress other countries with its construction achievements. It is like the Millennium Stadium to Wales.

Negatives of Dam

Criticisms Cost The dam will far exceed the official cost estimate, and the investment will be unrecoverable as cheaper power sources become available and lure away ratepayers Resettlement Relocated people are worse off than before and their human rights are being violated Environment Water pollution and deforestation will increase, the coastline will be eroded and the altered ecosystem will further endanger many species. Local Culture The reservoir will flood many historical sites and ruin the legendary scenery of the gorges and the local tourism industry Navigation Heavy siltation will clog ports within a few years and negate improvements to navigation. Power Gen Technological advancements have made hydro-dams obsolete, and a decentralized energy market will allow ratepayers to switch to cheaper, cleaner power supplies Flood Control Siltation will decrease flood storage capacity, the dam will not prevent floods on tributaries, and more effective flood control solutions are available.

Negatives: Resettlement Issues Roughly 70 percent of the country’s 10.2 million "reservoir relocatees" are still living in "extreme poverty” after the resettlement. http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/china.50/asian.superpower/three.gorges/

Negatives: Resettlement Issues China’s highest state body warned that the Three Gorges Project has “caused some urgent problems in terms of environmental protection, the prevention of geological hazards and the welfare of the relocated communities.” Some villagers in Fengjie Country were relocated to a new village site less than a mile away but were not given enough compensation to get new housing Ms. Han said “We only have 10,000 yuan (or $1300) and with such a small amount of money, I can’t even build a first floor.”

Negative-Resettlement Issues Originally required 1.3 million people in a 405 square mile area Over ten towns will have to be flooded to build the dam and people will have to move. The government says 1.3million people, others say up to 3 million. As of 2007, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao the dam has displaced more than 23 million people 20,000 people have just been relocated for the second time due to this project Originally resettled in 1998 to Huangtupo Relocated again in August 22, 2012

Negatives: Resettlement Issues 43% of the people are farmers and there was not enough good farmland to give to them to compensate for their losses Flooded 13 cities, 140 towns, and 1, 350 villages Homes, factories, farms, fisheries, and ancient temples lost now under water Some of the people are given financial compensation and moving expenses. Others are given either new farm land or new factory jobs. Much of the new farm land is barely usable and is located on steep inclines requiring excess precipitation. Critique of the resettlement plans is prohibited in the media.

Negatives: Resettlement Issues Most of the promises to provide land to farmers and jobs to displaced city residents have not been met When given land, the plots were small and barren Many have been sent to live in urban slums without money, jobs, or houses Another 530,000 people will have to be relocated by 2020 in order to relieve pressure on the fragile reservoir slopes Studies show that the region’s population density is almost twice the national average. The resettled farmers are in villages with too many farmers perched on steep slopes and sharing too little land

66% of Wanxian city will be flooded 66% of Wanxian city will be flooded. Some 900 factories and 250000 people will have to move. The city will be more accessible a new airport, road and railway will be built. Altogether 1.2 million people need rehousing – 2 cities, 11 major towns, 114 smaller towns and 1700 villages. The quality of life in the region is below China’s average at present.

60,000 hectares of fertile farmland will be flooded and 600,000 farmers will have to move

What Happens? Some of the people are given financial compensation and moving expenses. Others are given either new farm land or new factory jobs. Much of the new farm land is barely usable and is located on steep inclines requiring excess precipitation. Critique of the resettlement plans is prohibited in the media.

Negatives: Cost to Taxpayers Since 1951, the run-off of the Yangtze Basin has decreased by one- third. Droughts have prevented the Three Gorges Dam to generate electricity at full capacity. Not reaping the benefits form the cost of building the dam In 1992, the dam was to cost about 9 billion dollars. However, this number increased to about 37.2 billion dollars. Dai Qing, a critic of the project, now estimates that the final cost will be about 88 billion dollars. Not only is this project supposed to take more than a dozen years to complete, its cost will range in between $17 billion and $100 billion. China will spend about 40 billion yuan to build at least 150 sewage treatment plants and 170 urban garbage disposal plants due to the dam

Negatives: Loss of Historical Sites and Treasures Money that was to be allotted to underground archaeology has not come through Robberies are a problem at there is no security or surveillance of sites Artifacts of dubious origins have begun to surface on the market like a Han Dynasty bronze spirit tree that sold for 2 million Euros in 1998

Negatives: Loss of Historical Sites Destroyed 1300 archeological sites. Flooded many historical sites. Reduced tourism.

828 religious cultural and archaeological sites will be flooded including important Buddhist carvings. Thousands of important archaeological sites along the river will be lost forever.

Negatives: Landslides Number of hazards had risen 70% since water levels in the reservoir reached 175 meters This very likely means landslides are becoming a large concern Water is added or taken out of the reservoir depending on the season This has caused the banks to soften, making landslides very likely Landslides killed at least 48 people in 2007 across this area Landslides can also wipe out houses very easily The shore of the reservoir has already collapsed in nearly 100 places by the end of 2009

Negatives: Landslides The upward migration of farmers has led to deforestation that has lead to soil erosion and destabilized hillsides. Construction crews are reinforcing crumbling hillsides above the reservoir with concrete In the village of Pinaggo, when it rains, the soil starts flooding downhill. In Fengjie County, officials have designated more than 800 disaster-prone zone areas Several thousands of people have had to be relocated

Negatives: Landslides In Jianmin Village, the mountain began to buckle as a landslide swept it 20 homes were demolished The people living in those homes five months later were living in a tent fending off rats and with nothing To block cold air, they pin down the tent flaps with rocks They are too poor to buy an apartment in the city or to build a new home on higher ground The local government gave the tents to live in and villagers donated clothes

Negatives: Earthquake Tremors The Three Gorges Dam sits on two major earthquake fault lines. In 2006 over seven months, scientists recorded 822 tremors around the reservoir Reservoirs are know to have triggered earthquakes all over the world. While the dam is built to withstand a strong earthquake, the houses, schools, and buildings along the river are not and millions are in danger. A tremor shook Pinggao like jelly leaving cracks in several farmhouses. When the rainfall is heavy, due to the structural weaknesses created by the tremors, the houses sway and the roofs collapse

Negatives: Weather Patterns Has changed weather patterns Rainfall has decreased near the damn and increased in the nearby mountains Temperatures have dropped in the mountains by 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit Attempts to increase the water level 175 meters in the fall of 2009 resulted in drought conditions downstream Crops failed and freighters were stranded in mud

Negative: Pollution The water is going to be polluted: the human waste is not being treated, the industrial waste is not being treated. Could possibly be an open sewer the length of Lake Superior The river will not be able to flush the pollution down because it will be a still body of water. In September 2007, government officials admitted that “if preventive measures are not taken, there could be an environmental collapse.” Pollution from industry, agriculture, and households is causing frequent algae blooms in the reservoir. The government built dozens of garbage and sewer treatment plants but most of them are not in operation because the local governments do not have the money to operate them.

Negative: Polluted Water Factories, mines and waste dumps were submerged in this water Increasing urban growth along the reservoir caused waste water discharge to double Waters are brown Over 265 billion gallons of raw sewage are dumped into the Yangtze annually. Currently the river flushes this downstream and out into the ocean. Upon completion of the Three Gorges project, the sewage will back up in the reservoir. Water flow has slowed down Makes its ability to purify itself deteriorate The city of Chongqing releases nearly one billion tons of untreated wastewater into the Three Gorges reservoir each year because the government did not finish building and running the promised sewage and garbage plants

Negatives: Environmental The coastline will be eroded. The altered ecosystem will further endanger many species. The river, no longer free flowing, will become very polluted once the toxins and pollutants are slowly released from the cities. 14,500 hectares of agricultural land will be lost. The dam will act as a barrier causing the flow of sediments to slow and downstream fisheries and agriculture will be deprived of much need nutrients Altered the river’s chemical balance, temperature, and velocity

Negatives: Wildlife The dam has driven the famous Chinese River Dolphin to extinction. Populations of sturgeon, river sturgeon, and Chinese paddlefish have become endangered. Commercial fisheries in the Yangtze River and off the river’s mouth in the East China Sea have declined sharply. The dam blocks migration of fish and access to spawning grounds 27% of all of China’s endangered freshwater fish are in the Yangtze River basin A 2003 study identified at least six species of fish at high risk of complete extinction Another 14 species are endangered Another 24 species are close to be on the endangered list Commercial harvest of four species of carp are well below pre-dam levels

Here are 40 unique species of fish in the Three Gorges section of the Yangtze and 36 rare plant species. Downstream, the rare Chinese river dolphin lives in the silt laden river bed of the Yangtze. There are only 100 river dolphins left.

Negatives: Silt Issue Critics claim the Yangtze will add 530 million tons of silt into the reservoir on average per year and it will soon be useless in preventing floods. Because of the buildup of silt load in the reservoir, the Yangtze River now flows faster downstream and is eroding the levees. It has reversed the dam’s flood control benefits. The silt is being withheld from downstream areas. After the dam was completed, the sediment load at the river’s mouth dropped form 1/3 its previous level. Due to this, four square kilometers of coastal wetlands are being erodead each year. Seawater is intruding up the Yangtze and destroying arable land and threatening drinking water supplies.

Negatives: Erosion The Yangtze River deposits its silt into the Three Gorges reservoir now it flows faster downstream eroding the levees in the Yangtze Valley. The Three Gorges reservoir levels fluctuate between 145 and 175 meters, this destabilizes the slopes of the Yangtze Valley creating a serious risk for landslides and erosion. Erosion affects more that half of the reservoir area and 178 kilometers of riverbanks are in jeopardy or collapsing.

Negatives: Political Corruption Widely believed that contractors won bids through bribery. Many of the materials used in construction are below standards to lower overall costs. Head of the Three Gorges Dam Economic Corp. sold jobs in the company, took out loans for the project and disappeared with the money in May 2000. Resettlement officials were caught embezzling funds from the Resettlement Program in January 2000. 12% of the resettlement budget has been embezzled

Negatives: Political Corruption A displaced resident told the Financial Times, “Our lives have been ruined by the dam while the big officials got their fruit and filled their wallet.” The Chinese government has had to prosecute hundreds of government officials for corruption and embezzlement. 300 government officials have been found guilty

Negative: Government Crackdown on Protests 100,000 people protested the Pubugou Dam Project in the Sichuan Province and the riot police were called in and brutally crushed the protest The leader of the protest was executed for his role in the death of a policeman.

Problematic Issues New plans 38.5 GW

Pros vs Cons Supporters say the benefits of the project far outweigh the costs. The principal advantage of the project is to generate power to keep pace with China's economic growth. It is estimated that China's power output must rise by 8 percent annually to keep pace with 6 percent annual increase in gross national product. In practical term, that means the nation's total 1990 power capacity of 130 million kilowatts must grow to 580 million by the year 2015.

What would these people think about the Three Gorges Dam? Government Official---You represent the interests of the Chinese government with its economic growth and power source issues your main focus. Environmentalist---You are concerned about the ecological impact the dam has on China. Farmer--- You live near the banks of the Yangtze because you take the water from the river to flood your rice fields. Business Owner Specializing in Trade---You own a shop on the banks of the Yangtze. You provide the local village with general goods that people cannot grow or produce themselves. Yours is the only shop in the village. Tourism Director---You work with the government and an international travel organization called Trafalgar Tours. You wonder if the dam will be good or bad for tourism. Shipping Corporation--- You are the head of a major shipping business in China that handles the transportation of manufactured goods produced in China within the country and abroad.

A woman in Yonglaga, a village of about 200 people on the coveted level land by the riverbank. Most villagers have no idea where the dams are to be built or whether their village will have to move.

An ethnic Tibetan woman in the village of Dimaluo, up in the mountains, where a dam is being built on a tributary that flows from a glacier. Twenty families will need to move to higher ground.

In a rice field, a man helped a grandson roll up his sleeves In a rice field, a man helped a grandson roll up his sleeves. A proposed dam project would force the relocation of as many as 50,000 people

Alou, an ethnic Tibetan who has been critical of the dams, said officials had promised that the dams would create jobs and provide more electricity, but he is skeptical