Three Gorges Dam Essay Example

Do you consider the Three Gorges Dam to have been a good thing or a bad thing - is it a success or a failure? In my opinion i believe the Three Gorges Dam is a success, simply because of the millions of lives it will save, by flood control. Having said that, the Three Gorges Dam does have many negative aspects. The Three Gorges Dam is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze river in Sandouping, Hubei province, China. It is the largest hydroelectric power station in the world. Construction began in December 1994 and the dam was fully operational by the late 2011, its a costly situation as it cost $26 billion. The dam was built for three main reasons; to produce clean electricity, to control flooding and to improve shipping along the Yangtze. Resettlement is one of the greatest negative effects of the dam, around 1.4 million people have had to move because their villages and towns have been lost beneath the rising waters. However, one of the most worrying consequences of the project has been the sharp increase in landslides around the dam. These landslides are being caused by the huge weight of water behind the dm and fluctuations in the water level. The reservoir has already collapsed in 91 places and a total of 36km have caved in. The Three Gorges Dam also has a devastating impact on the environment; of the 3,000 to 4,000 remaining Siberian Crane, a large number currently spend the winter in wetlands that have been destroyed by the dam. The Dam also contributed to the extinction of the Yangtze river dolphin. In addition, populations of the Yangtze sturgeon are guaranteed to be negatively affected by the dam. Many people will benefit from the Three Gorges Dam. Massive economic growth will be allowed by the new navigable waterways along the Yangtze which will provide mass transit of raw materials to the area. This combined with the significantly reduced transportations costs provides an attractive location for industry seeking a cheap labour force. In addition, and