China Three Gorges Dam

Question 1

How long did it take to complete the dam?

Answer 1

17 years

Question 2

When was the dam completed?

Answer 2

2009

Question 3

How long is the dam?

Answer 3

2.3 km

Question 4

How high is the dam?

Answer 4

> 100 m high

Question 5

How much water in the reservoir?

Answer 5

> 1 trillion

Question 6

2 reasons for construction of dam

Answer 6

• prevent seasonal flooding which caused deaths

- HEP for central and eastern China

Question 7

2 social pros of dam

Answer 7

1. Reduced risk of flooding

2. Reservoir increases water availability

Question 8

By how much has the risk of flooding reduced?

Answer 8

1 in 10 years —> 1 in 100

Question 9

How many people were affected and how many died in 1954 floods?

Answer 9

19 M affected

30,000 deaths

Question 10

What can the reservoir water be used for? (3)

Answer 10

Irrigation, industry and consumption

Question 11

How many people have more water and in which part of China due to dam?

Answer 11

400 million in water deficient northern China

Question 12

3 economic advantages of dam

Answer 12

1. HEP
2. Improved navigation along river
3. Increased tourism

Question 13

How much electricity does the dam generate per hour?

Answer 13

84 billion KW of electricity per hour

Question 14

How many people does the dam supply energy to who previously had no power?

Answer 14

60 million people

Question 15

How many nuclear power plants is the HEP from the dam equivalent

Answer 15

15

Question 16

How much further upstream can ships travel and why?

Answer 16

6000 km

River deeper

Question 17

By how much has trade increased due to the dam?

Answer 17

Transportation of goods increased from 10M to 50M tonnes per year

Question 18

How much have transportation costs been reduced by?

Answer 18

Between 30 and 37% cheaper

Question 19

By how much has the max ship size allowed on the river increased?

Answer 19

Max was 1500 ton

Now 10,000 ton

Question 20

Why and to where has tourism increased?

Answer 20

• Reservoir view pleasing
• Largest dam
• Ocean vessels can travel further inland and reach Chongqing

Question 21

1 environmental pro of dam

Answer 21

Reduced use of non renewable resources in future due to cleaner and renewable HEP

Question 22

How much CO2 prevented if dam used to full capacity?

Answer 22

100 M tons

Question 23

How many tonnes of coal is equivalent to the dam turbines?

Answer 23

40 M tonnes

Question 24

4 social cons of dam

Answer 24

• People displaced
• Towns and villages flooded
• Risk of landslides
• Loss of historical sites

Question 25

How many people displaced for reservoir and from how many villages?

Answer 25

1.2 M people from over 10 villages

Question 26

How many more people will be displaced by 2020 and why?

Answer 26

530,000 people to relieve pressure on weak slopes

Question 27

How many towns did the reservoir submerge?

Answer 27

140 towns

Question 28

Which city was flooded and by how much was water level raised by?

Answer 28

Wuhan Water level raised by 600 foot

Question 29

By how much has the risk of landslide increased and why?

Answer 29

70% Due to water level reaching 175 meters

Question 30

When was there a landslide and how many people did it kill?

Answer 30

2007 48 killed

Question 31

How many historical sites destroyed

Answer 31

1300

Question 32

What effect has the loss of historical sites had?

Answer 32

Reduced tourism

Question 33

3 economic cons

Answer 33

- Huge cost - Farmland flooded - Poverty

Question 34

What was the overall cost of the dam?

Answer 34

$37 billion

Question 35

Why was the flooded farmland important for China?

Answer 35

It provided 70% China's rice crop

Question 36

How much farmland was lost?

Answer 36

14,500 hectares

Question 37

Were relocated farmers given good land?

Answer 37

NO - they were given steep slopes = reduction in food production

Question 38

What percentage of the relocatees live in extreme poverty?

Answer 38

70%

Question 39

What led to urban slums?

Answer 39

Promises of land and jobs to relocatees not met

Question 40

4 environmental cons

Answer 40

1. Reduced sediment downstream 2. Altered ecosystem = endangered species 3. Silt deposited in reservoir 4. Pollution

Question 41

By how much did sediment downstream reduce and between when?

Answer 41

By 50% 1998 - 2004

Question 42

Why is the building up of sediment behind the dam problematic?

Answer 42

- Need dredging to remove it so dam doesn't fail | - More erosion downstream as faster flow due to less sediment= levees eroded = flooding more likely

Question 43

2 species endangered

Answer 43

Giant panda, Yangtze Dolphin

Question 44

How many species of fish near extinction and why?

Answer 44

Migration of fish disrupted 6 species near extinction (2003 study showed)

Question 45

2 problems with silt deposited in reservoir

Answer 45

- Not deposited on farmland = less fertile | - Reduces storage ability

Question 46

How much silt into reservoir per year

Answer 46

530 million tonnes

Question 47

How much untreated waste does which city dump in river each year?

Answer 47

Chongqing dumps 1 billion tonnes

Question 48

How does pollution of river affect wildlife.

Answer 48

Leads to algae booms Kills wildlife

Question 49

Should the dam have been built?

Answer 49

No

Question 50

6 reasons why the dam shouldn't have been built

Answer 50

- Not used to full capacity due to droughts = full benefits not seen - 12% resettlement budget embezzled - Human costs > economic benefits - Knock on effects have reversed benefits of flood control - Cost of project won't be repaid by amount of HEP - Huge impact on environment - should have chosen sustainable approach

Question 51

How much of resettlement budget embezzled?

Answer 51

12%

Question 52

What river and location?

Answer 52

Yangtze River, Hubei province