China’s Three Gorges Dam
by Ivan Ng
The Three Gorges Dam located on the Yangtze River is the world’s largest reservoir and hydroelectric station. The dam was considered a marvel of modern engineering and a milestone for the development of technology. It was said to be another monument to prove that mankind could control nature.
When I first saw the documentary about the Three Gorges Dam on Discovery a few years ago, I was amazed by its size and the technology involved. I was particularly amazed by the way it transported ships upstream from a lower level up to the high water levels in the reservoir. Before writing this essay, I watched the documentary again. My opinions about the technology remains the same but after learning more about the environment, my general view towards the construction of the dam has changed completely.
Firstly, the economic benefits that came from the construction of the dam were relatively high to ignore the environmental factors for those who have analyzed this issue from the surface. Employment rate increased along the Yangtze River as more jobs were offered at the dam ranging from security officer to head engineer. Most importantly, the dam is doing a great job at what it was built for. It has generated an immense amount of electricity through its hydroelectric plant and also resulted in the reduction of coal-burning power plants in the area. That has helped reduced emissions and improved air quality along the Yangtze. For years, people who lived along the Yangtze have been endangered by the unpredictability of the Yangtze River’s strength and many have died during high tides. The construction of the dam allows the Chinese government complete control of the flow of the river. This has brought an increase in trade because ships can travel up and down the Yangtze more safely. It has also resulted in many small cities along the lower Yangtze River to be developed into a bustling metropolitan.
However, I would have to argue that the loss suffered from this engineering feat far surpasses the benefits of the dam. Throughout the construction of the dam, many villages and cities upstream were forced to be displaced as the water was set to rise over 500 feet. Villages with rich cultures and history were wiped out as the villagers were forced to move and abandon their way of life that has been practiced for centuries. Ancient artifacts buried beneath the soil will be lost forever as the dam fills up. Archeologists have managed to save thousands of artifacts that were discovered while demolishing villages and cities on the banks of the river but it was too little compared to the ones that have yet to and will never be found. Many ancient practices have stopped due to the new water levels and villages in the three gorges had to stop their traditional trades. Constant erosions have also been a problem as the water rises. Erosion has also led to a serious damage towards the flora and fauna of the surroundings. Forestation has decreased from 20% to 10% along the Yangtze and that is a big blow to the biodiversity of the ecosystem. The completion of the dam also brought a new threat to the Hubei province where the dam is located. The increased volume of water could potentially lead to an earthquake due to the immense weight of the water that has been stores. The Yangtze has been flowing for thousands of years and stopping the flow will test the limits of what the ground beneath it could hold.
Although the economic profits and short term benefits seems enough to justify the construction of the dam, we have all yet to see what effects this dam will bring in the long term. No matter what the economic gains were, nothing could ever replace the culture, history, and biodiversity of the Yangtze River.
I would love to hear your feedback if there are any. Thank you!
eIVANne
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