Three Gorges Dam China

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Created by
Niki Patel

Cards (22)

  • China has largest sustained GDP growth in history - from 7.5% to 10% per year
  • 80% of China's rivers no longer support fish
  • 70% of China's rivers and lakes are polluted
  • Funded for projects e.g 3 Gorges Dam and South North water transfer project
  • Cost: $22.5 bn (disputed) [not including price of running the dam or the construction of 13 new water treatment plants (32 generators total) to clean water]
  • Location: Qinnai province, North China on Yangtzee river [flooding causing > 300,000 deaths during 20th century alone]
  • Construction began in 1994 and finished in 2008
  • Aims:
    • Decrease flooding
    • Improve navigation for shipping
    • Generate electricity via HEP
  • Increased life expectancy by providing clean drinking water
  • Good for environment as it is a renewable energy source so is a green way to provide flood protection and reduce air pollution
  • Politically positive as it shows country is wealthy and strong and sets a blue print for other countries
  • Economic benefits:
    • China's GDP increased by 22%
    • Economic growth of $82 bn
    • Decreased water insecurity so increased irrigation for farmers
    • Navigation improvements increased business to places such as Pudon
  • Caused 1.4 mn people to be displaced
  • 13 cities, 140 towns and 1350 villages flooded
  • £30 mn of displacement compensation fund taken by corrupt local officials
  • Flooded fertile agricultural land and 8000 historical sites and monuments including famous Zhang Fei Temple
  • Dam in technologically active region (earthquakes and landslides are common)
  • More rapid economic growth than predicted so increased demand for energy so unlikely to provide 10% of electricity originally estimated so more reliance on coal for enough energy
  • Acid rain from thermal power stations i.e coal affects 1/3 of China which has 15 out of world's 20 most polluted cities. Predicted to over take USA as leading producer of CO2 emissions.
  • Concrete gravity dam - 181 m high and 2.3 km wide
  • Reservoir = 660 km long
  • Caused 632 km² of land to be submerged