Three Gorges Dam: Decision of the Chinese Government Research Paper

The decision of the Chinese Government

The Three Gorges Dam strikes with its grandiosity and the number of discussions still does not stop evoking. This project is absolutely “unprecedented in terms of physical size and the number of people slated for relocation,” (Perry and Selden, p. 209) and perhaps this is why it is so widely discussed these days. The construction of this dam involved a great number of unforeseen circumstances, though the Chinese government started planning the implementation of the project already in 1919 (Cleland, p. 231). The building of Three Gorges Dam has been a controversial decision not only in China but abroad as well; nevertheless, a thorough consideration of the issue shows that the construction of the dam has more benefits than disadvantages with environmental impact and the effect on local aesthetic values being its major criticisms.

The impact of the dam on the environment is predicted to be huge. Namely environmental issues had serious implications for the Three Gorges project, which resulted in carrying out a special study dedicated to this problem (Heggelund, p. 170). One of the saddest impacts of the dam construction was the extinction of baiji, the Yangtze river dolphin. The dam resulted in splitting of the remaining groups of this species and preventing them “from migrating to find fresh supplies of fish” (Day, p. 132). Apart from drastically altering ecosystem of the Yangtze River (Hyon and Schreurs, p. 158), the building of the dam has also increased water pollution rates due to lowering the river’s flushing capacity.

Rather disturbing was the effect of the construction on cultural and aesthetic values of the surroundings. The overall appearance of Three Gorges will be changed once and for all, let alone that “archaeological material will be submerged by the reservoir” (Qing, Thibodeau, and Williams, p. 125) because around 1300 archeological sites will be flooded. Some historical and cultural relics have been moved to higher ground but undiscovered relics will be buried under the tons of water for ages.

However, there are a number of benefits which the construction of the dam is able to bring and in sum they compensate for all the damage which is expected to be inflicted. Since the project can replace a significant number of thermal power stations, it will “reduce the consumption of coal by 50 million tons every year and cut carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen-oxide emissions by 100 million tons, 2 million tons and 10,000 tons and 370,000 tons, respectively” (Ferreira, Alves, Leal, and Cardosa, p. 63). In addition, the construction of the dam will make it possible to control floods; this, by the way, was the primary function of the dam (Carpenter, p. 441).

Finally, the dam is believed to increase the river shipping and cut the transportation costs in future. Until the construction of the dam, the river was extremely difficult to navigate because of the gorges; the dam is going to make it safer. The freighting capacity of the river will also increase and special ship lifts will be constructed, which will also largely facilitate the ascending from the ships, as well as discharge from the vessels.

Thus, the advantages which the Three Gorges Dam is going to entail are indeed numerous. This means that the Chinese government made the right decision when starting the construction of the dam.

Businesses Development within the Dam Construction

There exist several businesses that could be successfully developed within the area influenced by the construction of the dam. This can be regarded as one more advantage which the building of the dam brings. Perhaps these businesses are not as profitable as hydroelectric power stations, but they still can improve the welfare of the local citizens and, thus, the economy of the country.

One of the businesses could be the introduction of agricultural practices due to lowered levels of water. These could be upland cultural practices that are usually developed in areas of low rainfall. The building of the dam made the surrounding areas safe from flooding this is why agricultural business in those areas is quite perspective.

Another business developed within the dam area could be the creation of the terraced ponds. They could be built along the borders of the reservoir. Such ponds could be used for supplying people with drinking water (with purifiers mounted prior to beginning the exploitation). Moreover, terraced ponds could be used for fishing purposes or for breeding new species of fish and selling them afterward.

Lastly, dam construction makes it possible to develop food production businesses that get advantages from the changing water levels. This could be any kind of business and its success could be immediate. Food production businesses develop quite quickly. The production of safer food is popular these days, which is why this business is almost zero-risk.

Therefore, three medium-scale businesses could be developed within the dam construction area. This shows that, despite all its disadvantages, the dam offers a number of possibilities to improve the welfare of local residents and the country in general.

Works Cited

1. Carpenter, Stephen R. Ecosystems and Human Well-Being. London: Island Press, 2005.
2. Cleland, David I. Project Manager’s Handbook: Applying Best Practices across Global Industries. New York: McGraw-Hill Professional, 2007.
3. Day, Trevor. Whalewatcher: A Global Guide to Watching Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises in the Wild. Cape Town : Struik, 2007.
4. Ferreira, Rui M.L., Alves, Elsa C.T.L., Leal, Joao G.A.B., Cardosa, Antonio H. River Flow 2006: Proceedings of the International Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics, 2006, Lisabon, Portugal. New York: Taylor & Francis, 2006.
5. Heggelund, Grild. Environment and Resettlement Politics in China: the Three Gorges Project. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2004.
6. Hyon, In-tael and Schreurs, Miranda A. The Environmental Dimension of Asian Security: Conflict and Cooperation over Energy, Resources, and Pollution. New York: US Institute of Peace Press, 2007.
7. Perry, Elizabeth J. and Selden, Mark. Chinese Society: Change, Conflict and Resistance. New York: Routledge, 2003.
8. Qing, Dai, Thibodeau, John, and Williams, Phillip B. The River Dragon Has Come!: The Three Gorges Dam and the Fate of China’s Yangtze River and Its People. London: M.E. Sharpe, 1998.