The Three Gorges Dam Project
Trip Start
Oct 01, 2005
1
25
137
Trip End
Sep 20, 2006
Yichang,
China
Saturday, November 19, 2005
We left the boat before reaching the Three Gorges Dam, we went there on a government-run escorted tour, that is the only way to get a good look at it as security is very tight.
The Three Gorges Dam Project is absolutely immense, you cannot fail to be impressed by the sheer scale of it. It's setting new records for the width of the dam, the amount of concrete used etc. Phase 2 of the dam was completed in 2003 when the water level of the river behind it rose to 135m.
01 - Us at the Three Gorges Dam
The final phase is due to be completed in 2009 when the water level will rise further to 175m. Of course, you cannot implement a project on this scale without some serious side-effects, and these have been well publicised over the years; the irreversible change to the landscape by raising the water level so high; the displacement of people who have lived their whole lives on the banks of the Yangze... The pros, however, are pretty convincing - even taking them with a hearty pich of salt from the official tour guide! When it's finished, the dam will provide power to HALF of China (and that's 'green energy') helping to reduce dependency on fossil-fulled power. By raising the water level of the Yangze many more waterways have been opened up which will take the majority of freight traffic off the roads.
1.3 million people have had to be re-housed by the government, whole towns already lie underwater and many more will follow as the water creeps up to the 175m mark, but it is a very small percentage of the 1.3 BILLION population of China and there's no disputing that many of the people who have been forced to move have had a definate improvement in their living conditions.
You won't hear any of the tour guides (including our ouwn, Jerry) acknowledging any anti-dam sentiments. China is very proud of this dam (the biggest in the world when it's complete) and the effect it's going to have. All the people are 'veeeee-ry happy, veeeee-ry happy' with their new homes and the new landscape. You have to draw your own conclusions based on what you know, what you're told and what you see as to whether you think it's a good thing or not. We think it is a good thing for China.
