Research on the Three Gorges Dam
Research on the Three Gorges Dam
Summary
This report aims to investigate into the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) project in terms of its backgrounds and development. Focusing on the examination into the sustainable development of the TGD, this report also intends to reveal controversies facing the TGD and present cost-benefit analysis to the TGD.
Introduction
Water resource management has been in China’s history for thousands of years with the starting point of the Dujiang Dam, which is still working (Lei, 2003, as cited in Allin, 2004). Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that magnitude of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has never been tried before (Allin, 2004), with the length of 1.6 miles and the height of 610 feet (Major, 1999, as cited in Allin, 2004). Besides, the dam can form a reservoir with the length of 400 miles amid the Yangtze River (Allin, 2004). In effect, the first proposal of the TGD can date back to 1919 and it was eventually passed by the National People’s Congress of China in 1992 (Lin, 2007). Major reasons for the TGD include flood control, energy production, increased navigability of the Yangtze River, access to fresh water and so forth (Allin, 2004). In short, the TGD has the potential to benefit significantly the whole society. With construction commencing in 1994 (Mufson, 1997), the TGD was finally put into operation in 2012 (China Three Gorges Corporation, 2012). The TGD does have brought about huge benefits but it has also been facing a great deal of controversies all the way.
Analysis on sustainable development of the Three Gorges Dam
The analysis concerning sustainable development of the TGD involves three parts---social aspect, economic aspect and environmental aspect, which are quite interactive and correlated.
Social aspect
The building of the TGD has led to resettlement of more than one million people, which is the largest population resettlement for a dam project by far. Water from the TGD caused a lot of villages, towns, cities and
Summary
This report aims to investigate into the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) project in terms of its backgrounds and development. Focusing on the examination into the sustainable development of the TGD, this report also intends to reveal controversies facing the TGD and present cost-benefit analysis to the TGD.
Introduction
Water resource management has been in China’s history for thousands of years with the starting point of the Dujiang Dam, which is still working (Lei, 2003, as cited in Allin, 2004). Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that magnitude of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) has never been tried before (Allin, 2004), with the length of 1.6 miles and the height of 610 feet (Major, 1999, as cited in Allin, 2004). Besides, the dam can form a reservoir with the length of 400 miles amid the Yangtze River (Allin, 2004). In effect, the first proposal of the TGD can date back to 1919 and it was eventually passed by the National People’s Congress of China in 1992 (Lin, 2007). Major reasons for the TGD include flood control, energy production, increased navigability of the Yangtze River, access to fresh water and so forth (Allin, 2004). In short, the TGD has the potential to benefit significantly the whole society. With construction commencing in 1994 (Mufson, 1997), the TGD was finally put into operation in 2012 (China Three Gorges Corporation, 2012). The TGD does have brought about huge benefits but it has also been facing a great deal of controversies all the way.
Analysis on sustainable development of the Three Gorges Dam
The analysis concerning sustainable development of the TGD involves three parts---social aspect, economic aspect and environmental aspect, which are quite interactive and correlated.
Social aspect
The building of the TGD has led to resettlement of more than one million people, which is the largest population resettlement for a dam project by far. Water from the TGD caused a lot of villages, towns, cities and
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