three gorges dam

Question 1

river name

Answer 1

Yangtze river

Question 2

location

Answer 2

china

Question 3

start and end dates

Answer 3

1994-2003

Question 4

why?

Answer 4

reservoir allows you to store up water in times of high rainfall, reducing the water allowed downstream. floods have gone from a 1-10 year event to a 1-100 year event

Question 5

benefits- social

Answer 5

flood control- cities such as wuhang and Nanjing. millions of people saved from flooding

Question 6

benefits- economic and enviromental

Answer 6

hydroelectric power- 1/3 of chinas houses power
saves 50 million tonnes of coal a year
renewable energy
low cost to maintain
clean energy
tourist attraction

Question 7

disads- social

Answer 7

1.4 million people moved from home (reservoir)
$30 of compensation taken by corrupt officials
houses on valley sides- prone to landslides (farmland is lielihood)

Question 8

economic disads

Answer 8

costs $22.5 billion
including relocation and compensation
silt in river builds up behind dam- reduces reservoir capacity

Question 9

disads- enviromental

Answer 9

native river dolphins + Yangtze sturgeon could go extinct - migration stopped to downstream
1 billion tonnes of industrial waste held up by dam- polluted river water
silt in river builds up behind dam- reduces resevoir capacity aswell as stopping re-fertilisation of floodplains