Water power: Hydroelectric
Case Study: The Three Gorges Dam, China
The Three Gorges Dam in China runs across the Yangzte River, and is the largest in the world. It will flood the river valley for 660 kilometres upstream! The Chinese hope that it will be fully functioning by 2009, providing 5-10% of the country's energy needs.
However, the dam project has also:
- drowned at least 1,200 village below the waters as they have risen;
- forced over 1 million people to move away from their homes;
- caused a build up of pollution in the lake;
- blocked the flow of silt to the delta where the river meets the sea, leading to coastal erosion.
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social impacts of the dam project
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