In an unexpected statement, chinas government has just acknowledged the serious problems of the three gorges dam the project is now greatly benefiting the society in the aspects of flood prevention, power generation, river transportation and water resource utilization, the government maintained, but it has also caused some urgent problems in terms of environmental protection, the. An examination of chinas three gorges dam project bases on the framework presented in the report of the world commission on dams. The stateowned china three gorges project corporation has a selfinterest in developing more hydropower projects, and has taken on several new dams on the middle and upper reaches of the yangtze river. The reservoir will inundate ancient villages, temples and burial grounds. Impact of the three gorges project on ecological environment. Gleick introduction the three gorges dam tgd and associated infrastructure is the largest integrated water project built in the history of the world.
Impact of three gorges dam, yangtze dam impacts yangtze. Geographical overview of the three gorges dam and reservoir. Introduction the three gorges dam is the largest concrete structure on the planet. One big benefit gained from the three gorges dam is the high amounts of power it is producing. Although the dam itself is rated to provide 18,000 megawatts of power, it hasnt been without sacrifices. The analysis uses longterm observations of river water temperature rwt in four stations and reconstructs the. The three gorges dam on the yangtze riverthe worlds largest dam was completed in 2006, and the river is filling up its valley behind the dam to form a narrow reservoir extending more than 600 kilometers. Although it meets the water needs of millions of people, the river regularly overflows its banks. The dam will flood some animal and plant habitats, while leaving others high and dry. The main motivations to proceed with the three gorges project for construction of the dam were. The three gorges dam is a hydroelectric dam on the yangtze river in china. The three gorges dam stretches more than two kilometers across one of the greatest rivers in the world, the yangtze. The creation of the dam and associated reservoir has impacts both upstream from the dam and downstream. The dongting lake is the first large lake that connects yangtze river after it flows out of tgd, meanwhile, it accounts for 48% of the total snail habitation in china.
The three gorges dam and reservoir on the yangtze river, china, has been an ambitious and controversial project. Unfortunately, the dam may be remembered not for its hydroelectric power, but for its drastic social and environmental impact. The three gorges dam is a hydroelectric gravity dam that spans the yangtze river by the town of sandouping, in yiling district, yichang, hubei province, china. The increasing sediment is one of the main three gorges dam disasters. National center for case study teaching in science background with the recent increased focus on renewable energy sources, hydroelectric dams are being constructed at a record pace. Three gorges dam has caused urgent problems, says china.
The debate over the worlds largest dam, the three gorges dam tgd, highlights many of the controversies relating to dam construction see edmonds 1991, but in this case the dam proponents prevailed, and the huge structure is now in place. There have been little to no attempts made toward removing. After the tgd began operation, the sediment load at datong, the tidal limit of the yangtze, decreased to 206, 147, and 216 mt in 2003, 2004 and 2005, respectively, compared with an average of 320 mtyr in 19932002. Three gorges dam environmental impacts vision launch. Influence of the three gorges dam on downstream delivery. The reservoir reached its final height in 2010, but many of its impacts are only now becoming apparent.
The region, which was usually not prone to drought, has been seeing quite a bit of it after the. The impact of three gorges dam on the downstream eco. Chinas three gorges dam project has the potential to be both, depending on whether you talk to government officials or environmentalists. The water is held back by the innate mass of the individual dam sections. Fishermen attempt to catch fish on the yangtze river in a file photo. The yangtze river contains 300 different fish species. Why could chinas three gorges dam cause an environmental. Water brief 3 three gorges dam project, yangtze river, china. This paper gives a brief description of the three gorges project and its environmental impact assessment process, as well as major efforts to control environmental problems brought about by the project. The yangtze is the third longest river in the world, at almost 4,000 miles. Impact of the three gorges dam overruled by an extreme climate hazard. Around the world, the construction of largescale dams has become a controversial environmental issue.
The three gorges dam tgd is the largest hydropower facility in the world, influencing the riverine hydrology and mass flux in the yangtze river. Worldwide, there are more than 45,000 large hydroelectric dams, plus countless smaller dams built for navigation, flood control, and other uses duflo and pande, 2007. Environmental, demographic, and social impact assessments of the three gorges project were completed by the environment impact assessment department of the chinese academy of science eiadcas and. To avoid the errors, a binary mask was created from the bqa files. Three gorges dam environmental, economic, social, and. The dam and associated environmental alterations may result in a number of regional changes in terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity, as well as in ecosystem structure. However, the ecological and environmental consequences of large dams have received increasing attention in the recent decades.
The dam, 2309 m in length and 181 m in height, is the largest ever built in china figure 1. This would have a negative impact on the local fishing industry and also on the livelihoods of fishermen who depend on it. Guojie, chen, some viewpoints on the macroscopic ecological system and the environmental impact of the three gorges project, paper presented at the symposium on the three gorges project, education and science society, inc. However, even in chinas authoritative environmental impact statement for the three gorges project, there is no information regarding the nonnative species that may have invaded the tgdr xu et. The yangtze river, china, before damming left, 17 april 1987 and the three gorges dam and reservoir after damming right, 9 may 2004. The three gorges dam is situated in western hubei province, china. Here i identify the major issues related to this project. The three gorges region has attracted global attention due to the three gorges dam, which is changing the culture and environment of the region.
National center for case study teaching in science a struggle. Environmental risks of the three gorges dam howstuffworks. Recently, humanity has created what may be one of the single most significant alterations to the natural world ever. Environmental and social issues of the three gorges dam in china. As a result, damage to an individual section should not affect other parts of the dam. After the three gorges dam was constructed and the water level of upper reaches was raised, the upper river flows more slowly than before and the sand and rocks cannot be rushed down in. Oct 23, 2017 three gorges dam major environmental, economic, social, and political issues economic, environmental, social, and political concerns have been raised about the tgd project, both before the project was launched and in recent years. Three gorges dam sits on two major fault lines jiuwanxi and ziguibadong. It has also been one of the most controversial due to its massive environmental, economic, and social impacts. Direct and indirect impacts to aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. The three gorges dam has been the worlds largest power station in terms of installed capacity 22,500 mw since 2012. One of the largest dams in the world, it also generates the biggest amount of hydroelectric power 22,250 megawatts, pushing the massive itaipu dam in brazil from first place to second place.
The project is chinas three gorges dam, and it has already been the subject of. The three gorges dam on the yangtze river has unfortunately lived. After the turn of the century, nongovernmental organizations began to champion environmental protection, and farmers stood up against projects that did not respect chinas three gorges dam. It is argued that the construction of the dam will prevent fish from spawning upstream, thus diminishing population sizes. Concrete pouring to form the worlds biggest dam, a giant that spans the yangtze river near yichang in central china, was completed on may 20, 2006. This paper reports an evaluation of the dynamical changes of sedimentation and erosion in the middle and lower reaches of the yangtze river after operation of the three gorges dam tgd. Geologists fear that rapid changes in water pressure when the reservoir levels are changed during flood season could activate already shaky ground and trigger an earthquake a phenomenon known as reservoirinduced seismicity. List of top 16 three gorges dam pros and cons green garage.
It has also been one of the most contro versial due to its massive environmental, economic, and social impacts. Problems caused by three gorges dam, yangtze three gorges. Chinese government acknowledges problems of three gorges dam. Channel morphology in an alluvial river usually varies due to the altered flow and sediment regime from upstream damming. The dam was built in a stretch of the yangtze known as three gorges because of the canyons formed by immense limestone cliffs. Environmental impact assessment eia of three gorges dam. The reservoir behind the dam occupies the three gorges, one of the most.
The dam created a vast reservoir and locks that facilitate dam. Major paper, virginia polytechnic institute and state university, virginia. Shanghaifor over three decades the chinese government dismissed warnings from scientists and environmentalists that its three gorges damthe worlds largesthad the potential of becoming one of chinas biggest environmental nightmares. When finished, three gorges dam will generate oneninth of chinas power. Of further concern are claims the dam might become an environmental disaster. Problems caused by three gorges dam, yangtze three gorges dam. After the operation of the three gorges dam at full capacity at the end of 2008, new environmental and ecological issues are emerging. It is the largest hydro power project in the world. With the construction of the three gorges dam, that flood interval is increased to one hundred years, saving thousands of lives. Quantifying the impact of the three gorges dam on the thermal dynamics of the. The benefits of the project, without a doubt, are large, but uncertainties exist with regard to the longterm impact on the environment. Quantifying the impact of the three gorges dam on the.
The three gorges area alone accounts for 20 percent of chinese seed plantsmore than 6,000 species. Three gorges dam environmental impacts kuscera youngblood. National peoples congress approved project construction with a record number of abstentions. The three gorges dam is the worlds largest hydropower project and most notorious dam.
Three gorges threatens more than 400 plant species, including the chinese dove tree and dawn redwood, as well as a number of fish and the rare baiji dolphin. The three gorges dam likely mitigated the occurrence of high. The paper concludes with reflec tions on the science and policy of eia in large dam development. These gorges the xiling, wu, and qutangoffer some of the most scenic landscape anywhere in the. Three gorges dam project, yangtze river, china peter h. This study was conducted to assess the impact of tgd on changes in the ecological environment, snail distribution and schistosomiasis transmission in dongting lake area. Impact of the three gorges dam on sediment deposition and erosion in the middle yangtze river. May 19, 2011 china has acknowledged that its showcase three gorges dam, the worlds largest hydroelectric project, has caused a slew of urgent environmental, geologic and economic problems. The three gorges dam was a dream of many chinese people, but.
In 2008, the dam authority attempted to fill the reservoir but stopped due to fears that it would trigger landslides in the upstream area of the reservoir. Impacts of three gorges dam environmental impact environmental issues with the tgd, which is currently under construction onyangtze river, include degraded water quality, detriments to wildlife, potential riverbank collapses, and potential silt related falling of coastal areas. Impact of three gorges dam on the upstream of yangtze. The analysis uses longterm observations of river water temperature rwt in four stations and reconstructs the rwt that would have occurred in absence of the tgd. Assessing the impact next year, the reservoir behind the three gorges dam on the yangtze river will be filled to capacity. The construction of the three gorges dam in china and the subsequent impoundment of the yangtze river have induced a major land use change in the three gorges reservoir region, which fosters. According to the chinese government, three gorges is the solution to two of the countrys biggest problems flood control and energy production. To protect residents and land in the lower yangtze floodplains, china began construction on the three gorges dam in 1994. Its difficult to deny the value of hydropower as an alternative energy source to coal, but the project has possibly caused unintended consequences. In this work, the water quality and dom quality for water samples collected from the upstream and downstream sites of tgd were investigated. Environmental impacts assessment of the three gorges project in. In terms of the amount of electricity it generates, its the worlds largest power station.
The paper takes chinas authoritative environmental impact statement for the yangzi yangtze three gorges project tgp in 1992 as a benchmark against which to evaluate emerging major environmental outcomes since the initial impoundment of the three gorges reservoir in 2003. Chinas three gorges dam reservoir has been fouled by pesticides, fertilizers and sewage, and more than 600 kilometers of the. The report on the assessment of the environmental impact of the three gorges hydropower complex, which was subsequently accepted by the national. The three gorges dam in the hubei province of china is a huge but highly criticized project. The state council said on may 18 that the three gorges project, the worlds biggest hydropower complex, had. Effects of the three gorges project on runoff and related benefits. Three gorges dam project, yangtze river, china worlds water. Environmental impact assessments of the three gorges. The three gorges dam environmental impacts also include these concerning issues. Its impacts on the biodiversity and ecological processes in the region are causing concern to ecologists worldwide. The dam, the largest in the world as of 2008, will provide hydropower, help to manage flood conditions, and increase the navigability of the yangtze river. The three gorges dam in the changjiang river, china. The three gorges dam is a steelconcrete gravity dam. Environmental, demographic, and social impact assessments of the three gorges project were completed by the environment impact.
Quantifying the impact of the three gorges dam on the thermal. Impact of the three gorges dam on the quality of riverine. The three gorges dam tgd is a remarkable, farreaching project in china. Introduction he three gorges dam was a dream of many chinese people, but today it has become a reality. The three gorges dam will replace up to 50 million tons of raw coal. The three gorges dam in china is the largest dam ever built. Impact of the three gorges dam on culture, heritage, peoples lives, weather, transportation in and along the yangtze river. Three gorges dam tgd is a tremendous hydrological project in china, it affects the ecological environment and influences the survival of animals downstream.
Beijing scientists predicted that when the worlds largest hydropower project came online in 2003, it would be an environmental bane. Gorges dam project has caused an array of ecological ills, including more frequent. This study examines the impact of the worlds largest dam, the three gorges dam tgd, on the thermal dynamics of the yangtze river china. The yangtze river, considered the cradle of chinese civilization. China has acknowledged that its showcase three gorges dam, the worlds largest hydroelectric project, has caused a slew of urgent environmental, geologic and economic problems.
Little is known about its impact on the riverine dissolved organic matter dom quality. It affects species in the area, some endangered, water quality, and may increase the likelihood of earthquakes and mudslides in the area. After the three gorges dam was constructed and the water level of upper reaches was raised, the upper river flows more slowly than before and the sand and rocks cannot be rushed down in time and are piled up in the river beds and reservoir. Pollution in the water will make it impossible for many fish to survive. The three gorges reservoir region is approximately 200 kilometres 120 mi in length, while the three gorges themselves occupy approximately 120 kilometres 75 mi within this region. Green economic practices of the three gorges project. The construction of the dam modifies the physical environment of the entire catchment basin. The massive project sets records for number of people displaced more than 1. Why the three gorges dam was built, please see more deltails, click here.
Hydropowerthe travails of the three gorges dam are a cautionary tale for laos and its southeast asian neighbors as they wrestle with the pros and cons of damming the lower mekong river. Dam defenders said, however, that many cultural and historical relics are being moved to higher ground and that the rise in the water level would not affect the scenery as much as the critics claimed. The environmental impacts associated with large scale dams often have significant negative impacts on the environment. Impact of the three gorges dam on sediment deposition and. A chinese report found that the environmental impact from the three gorges dam was limited, despite concerns the dam contributed to a dire drought this year.
Many ecologists and other scientists have expressed concern over the environmental consequences of the tgd. The project has been plagued by corruption, spiraling costs, environmental impacts, human. Holding the title of the largest population in the world, china needs a sufficient energy source that can support its flourishing industry, busy economy and ever growing society. It is a multi objective dam with great benefits in flood control, power generation, navigation and so on. A significant example of such a dam is the three gorges dam on the yangtze river in china. Environmental impact assessments of the three gorges project. The eis report has been employed by the 65 chinese government at all levels as an authoritative guideline for tgp policy and plans. However, the high flow at the remaining stations in the lower reach is not noticeably alleviated due to the diminishing influence of the dam on distant downstream flows and the impact of the lakes downstream of the dam that act to. Environment impacts assessment eia of three gorges dam.
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