Hard Engineering - 3 Gorges Dam Flashcards
Where is it located?
Yangtze River, Central China
Describe its size + how long it took to build?
2.3km wide, 185m high + took 15 years to build
Why was it built?
Response to seasonal flooding that takes place along Yangtze + killed thousands + caused billions of damage
China’s major economic cities are built along the river
Cost?
$180 billion
What are the economic impacts?
↑ trade capacity of river = dam aids the navigability of the Yangtze by making it slower + deeper
↓ China’s dependency on coal meaning that it doesn’t have to spend as much on mining or importing coal
Lack of annual flooding = farmland located on Yangtze’s floodplain = become less fertile, reducing agricultural yield
What are the social impacts?
Over 1.2 million people were required to leave their homes
Reservoir ended up flooding 13 cities + hundreds of villages
Those relocated = simple farmers lacking skills. When moved to the new cities = struggled to find work , few agricultural jobs + had no training for other sorts of jobs = ↑ poverty situation
People living in poverty who were displaced = new homes given = step up in quality + living standard
What are the environmental impacts?
A lot of sediment being blocked behind dam. If sediment flow through = gradual destruction of the Yangtze’s delta + ↑ erosion downstream of the dam
Area of land becoming dam’s reservoir = home to species of endangered animals. The destruction of their habitats only worsens endangered status
What are the political impacts?
WB refused to fund the project because of the environmental and social problems associated
Major military target as downstream of the dam are some of China’s largest cities e.g. Shanghai
