Three Gorges Dam

• Cost $39b
• Designed to control flooding on the Yangtze
• Water can be transferred via South-North transfer project
• Yangtze is the 3rd largest river in the world
• Disadvantage:

  • Resident's homes and businesses destroyed to build the dam
• Disadvantage:

  • 145-175m water height fluctuating has caused landslides
• Disadvantage:

  • 1.3m residents resettled from 1,500 villages
• Disadvantage:

  • 265b tonnes of raw sewage trapped by dam (use to flow out to sea). Threatens wildlife
• Disadvantage:

  • Loss of 1,000 archaelogical sites
• Disadvantage:

  • Poor resettlement plans - many left homeless
• Disadvantage:

  • Poor water quality from industry upstream
• Advantages:

  • 22.5GW of power
• Advantages:

  • Jobs made for residents
• Advantages:

  • Accounts for 10% of China's energy supply
• Advantages:

  • Cargo ships safer to travel upstream - increase volume
• Advantages:

  • Chongqing at less risk of flooding