Economic Development and the Environment CHINA and the

Economic Development and the Environment: CHINA and the Three Gorges Economic Development and the Environment: Project CHINA and the Three Gorges Project Source: National Geographic Patrick Buckley Geography Western Washington University patrick@cc. wwu. edu China: Three Gorges Project 1

Intro Video http: //dsc. discovery. com/videos/discovery-atlas-china-revealed-three-gorges-dam. html China: Three Gorges Project 2

Summer 2020 https: //www. cnn. com/style/article/china-three-gorges-damintl-hnk-dst/index. html China: Three Gorges Project 3

http: //www. wiseforyou. com/images/3 gorges_ast_2006 135. jpg http: //blogs. tnr. com/tnr/blogs/environmentandenergy/archive/2009/03/03/dammed-if-we-do. aspx

May 20, 2011 China Admits Problems With Three Gorges Dam Nytimes. com BEIJING — The Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric project and a symbol of China’s confidence in risky technological solutions, is troubled by urgent pollution and geologic problems, a high-level government body acknowledged Thursday. China: Three Gorges Project 6

In China with WWU Students Dr. Buckley and daughter in Beijing with Western Students China: Three Gorges Project 7

II. The Three Gorges Project A. Brief History and Geography B. Proposed Benefits C. Expected Impacts D. Current Problems China: Three Gorges Project 8

Location China: Three Gorges Project 9

Satellite View China: Three Gorges Project 10

Geography Source: National Geographic China: Three Gorges Project 11

History • Early 20 th century -- Pres. Sun Yat-sen and U. S. Army Corps explore possibilities • Post liberation -- Mao offers to trade leadership role for engineer’s cap • 1980’s Li Peng’s wife champion’s the cause • 1994 construction started in earnest despite strong opposition China: Three Gorges Project 12

Dam Specifications • • Dam Crest 185 m (about 55 stories high) Dam Length 2, 000 m (about 1. 2 miles long) Pool Length 632 km(as long as Lake Superior) Generation Capacity 18, 200 MW (about 18 nukes or 10% of current need in China) • Displaced People • Navigation +1. 2 million 10, 000 dwt ships (Great Lakes take up to 30, 000 dwt ships or a dozen barges on the Mississippi River) China: Three Gorges Project 13

Construction Process Coffer Dam Lock construction China: Three Gorges Project June 2002 14

Relative Size of Three Gorges Project Source: National Geographic China: Three Gorges Project 15

Issues 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Flooding and why dams might be good Hydro electricity and paying for the dam Tourism and the value of the Gorges Transportation value of the dam Question of relocation and political dissent 6. Danger of dam collapse 7. Possible silting problems China: Three Gorges Project 16

Flooding 1998 Periphery dike of Jiujiang technologic development district was burst at 11 a. m. on Augest 7 th, of which the width is 60 m. Source: ttp: //webclub. kcom. ne. jp/ma/telesign/sub 3. htm# section 2 Taming rivers In 1998, after three months of torrential rains, floods on the Yangtze river claimed 3, 650 lives and caused more than US $30 billion in damage. Chinese officials acknowledge that deforestation and poor logging practices led to erosion of the river’s banks and silt accumulation, and were major factors behind this disaster. Prior to 1950, the Yangtze flooded on average every six years. By the 1980 s, there was a large flood every two years – an alarming trend that continued through the 1990 s. Source: China Review China: Three Gorges Project 17

The submerged Development Area in Jiujiang August 11 th, 1998 Source: http: //webclub. kcom. ne. jp/ma/telesign/pic 4. htm China: Three Gorges Project 18

Satellite Image of Poyang-Lake area during the flood. (7. 26. 1998) The Black blue color represents water bodies before the flood, red represents flood area, pink represents water logging soil area, green represents normal vegetation. China: Three Gorges Project 19

Proposed Benefits 1. Flood Control -- doubtful given 1998/99 flood events and recent 2010 flood 2. Clean Hydro Power – questions of cost/efficiency – Imbalance between production cost and sale price ($8 100 kw versus $3 100 kw) 3. Navigation -- ocean shipping to Chongqing 4. Water storage and diversion -questionable given alternative proposals China: Three Gorges Project 20

Expected Impacts 1. Environmental -- Loss of land, habitat, and “clean” water 2. Human -- Loss of livelihoods and towns 3. Financial -- huge gamble with limited development capital – may not pay for itself 4. Cultural impacts -- loss of artifacts 5. Tourist impacts -- unknown China: Three Gorges Project 21

Source: National Geographic Ghost City before and after innudation China: Three Gorges Project 22

Source: National Geographic Land is scarce, precious, and rich -- no replacement China: Three Gorges Project 23

Source: National Geographic Clean Water is already in very short supply China: Three Gorges Project 24

Relocation Development? China: Three Gorges Project Source: National Geographic 25

Source: National Geographic Most relocation is from urbanized areas and when possible the new town takes shape above the old China: Three Gorges Project 26

Change is always painful Source: National Geographic China: Three Gorges Project 27

This is the world’s largest construction project costing between 20 and 80 billion dollars -- it is visible from outer space Source: National Geographic China: Three Gorges Project 28

Boatman on the mini-gorges -- this tourism has been lost Source: National Geographic China: Three Gorges Project 29

Before the dam was closed, note the air quality as a signal. China: Three Gorges Project 30 Source: National Geographic

Areas of Special Concern 1. Sedimentation 2. Water quality in the reservoir 3. Geologic stability of the dam and reservoir 4. Off the record reactions to the project China: Three Gorges Project 31

1. Sedimentation China: Three Gorges Project 32

China’s Scientists Take these issues very seriously China: Three Gorges Project 33

Sedimentation • Production of Sediment – Deforestation • Post 1998 “ban” on logging • Will tourism be milder? Deforestation Burnt trees in Yunnan, China. – Resettlement on higher/steeper slopes – Increased use of marginal land China: Three Gorges Project 34

Sediment Transport • Rivers create dynamic equilibriums – Based on source material, velocity & flow – Think of this as a gravel freight train • Dams decrease velocity locally – Deposition results (same number of “full trains” entering reservoir but release their load, sediment left behind) – Need periodic flushing • Works locally & on fine silts and sand • Deltas build at entrances to reservoir – Issues of distance from dam and gravel China: Three Gorges Project 35

Results above Dam 1. Storage capacity lost above dam especially in tributaries and mouth of reservoir 2. Surprisingly Flood hazard increases above dam on tributaries 3. Chong. Qing and upstream areas threatened China: Three Gorges Project 36

Results at Dam 1. Sediment piles up in reservoir 2. Less Power Generation capacity Three issues impacted – Value of dam declines – Life Expectancy decreases – Ability to pay for dam becomes speculative China: Three Gorges Project 37

Results below Dam 1. “Hungry” river robs levies 2. Estuary starves – delta retreats Places like Wuhon face weaker dikes and higher protection costs Shanghai slowly “sinking” into the China Sea (New Orleans Syndrome) China: Three Gorges Project 38

Possible Mitigation Impacts 1. More upstream interception dams • Currently under construction 2. Dredging required to keep channels open 3. Periodic flushing of reservoir decreases hydro-power potential 4. Higher maintenance costs down stream 5. Loss of coastal land 6. $$$$$$. . . ”a billion here, a billion there and pretty soon you’re talking real money. ” Sen Everett Dirkson China: Three Gorges Project 39

2. Water Quality Research Review Water Pollution and Human Health in China Changhua Wu, 1 Crescencia Maurer, 1 Yi Wang, 2 Shouzheng Xue, 3 and Devra Lee Davis 1 1 World Resources Institute, Washington, DC 20006 USA 2 National Conditions Analysis Group, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 3 School of Public Health, Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai, China Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 107, Number 4, April 1999 Introduction Rapid Industrialization Urbanization Intensification and Modernization of Agriculture Conclusions and Recommendations http: //ehp. niehs. nih. gov/members/1999/107 p 251 -256 wu/wu-full. html China: Three Gorges Project 40

Water Quality Grades Water Grades 1. Natural Reserves pristine water 2. Class 1 drinking water 3. Class 2 drinking water available for swimming 4. Industrial use and recreation where there is no bodily contact 5. Agricultural use China: Three Gorges Project 6. Below 5 – don’t touch it 41

Water Quality 1. Money for water treatment robbed for dam building 2. Gezhoba dam’s reservoir already considered poor quality Water Quality throughout China is threatened China: Three Gorges Project 42

Water Quality Map Click on Map to go to web site http: //ehp. niehs. nih. gov/members/1999/107 p 251 -256 wu/wufig 1 B. GIF China: Three Gorges Project 43

3. Geologic Stability 1. As early as 1997 stability problems were experienced in building the ship canal 2. Cracks reported in dam in January 2002 3. Real concern “tidal” waves in reservoir Teton Dam Collapse 1976 in Idaho, USA China: Three Gorges Project 44

4. Off the Record 1. This is the “Olympics” of the engineering world 2. Hard to find scientists that really support the project 3. Is this the CCP’s Great Wall? China: Three Gorges Project 45

III. Concluding Thougts • China wants what we have • This is a big stakes gamble both politically and financially • What is it worth to you as an American to protect the environment -- Chinese already take buses, bike, and even walk. Do you? ? ? China: Three Gorges Project 46

Back to the May 20 th Article and others Government admits some of following problems 1. Pollution in the reservoir needs addressing 1. Some dams around cities to keep pollution out 2. Climate and current drought seen as a result of the dam 3. Dam won’t prevent flood damage but will help mediate 4. Geological problems especially sluffing still need to be addressed China: Three Gorges Project 47

Cont. 5. Regional water tables effected by dam level and releases 6. Drinking water quality effected by dam 7. May be increased risk of earthquakes from weight of reservoir. 8. Admission that displaced re-locatees may not recover to previous income before 2020 (and numbers continue to grow) China: Three Gorges Project 48

Cont. 9. Environmental extinctions and spread of pests is becoming more prominent 10. True price tag of project still unknown 11. Hydro power potential still unknown 12. Ability to transfer water from south to north still unknown China: Three Gorges Project 49

Three Gorges pose environmental, health risk: Scientist Thu Apr 27, 2006 2: 35 AM ET Copyright © 2006 Agence France Presse Rising pollution levels in China's Three Gorges reservoir are increasing the risk of an ecological and public health disaster, a leading national scientist says. "After water started to accumulate in the reservoir, the flow rate of the (Yangtze) river dropped, resulting in a decreased ability of the river to clean itself, " the China Business Times quoted environmental expert Shu Weiqun as saying. "Because of this, the reservoir area, with its 31 million people, has become a high ecological and public health risk area. " Shu, a professor at the environment and sanitation research institute of the People's Liberation Army's Third Medical Hospital, was last week awarded a national environmental protection award for his research into the water quality of the Three Gorges reservoir. The award reflects the central government's determination to ensure the water remains clean in the 600 -kilometer-long (372 -mile) reservoir behind the controversial Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric project, the paper said. The award has also given Shu a platform to air his concerns over pollution levels in the reservoir. Since water began accumulating in the reservoir in 2003, the government has invested more than four billion yuan (500 million dollars) for at least one water treatment plant in every county surrounding the body of water, the paper said. "But at present only 20 percent of the polluted water (flowing into the reservoir) is being treated, " Shu said. Shu also said that state water quality standards were far from adequate, as they only required the monitoring of 35 items, including only four known organic pollutants. The professor said he had discovered 101 organic pollutants in the reservoir. Shu urged increased spending on pollution controls and water treatment plants, higher water quality standards for the reservoir and a pollution control law to cover the entire Yangtze river basin, it said. China is expected to announce the completion of the construction phase of the dam in the coming weeks, although the last set of power generators will not go on line for two more years. China: Three Gorges Project 50

NY Times http: //video. nytimes. com/video/2007/11/17/world/1194817102562/living-with-the-three. China: Three Gorges Project gorges-dam. html 51

Reference Pictures from: Zich, Arthur and Bob Sacha. 1997. “China’s Three Gorges”, National Geographic, vol. 192, no. 3, pp. 2 -33. Breaking Information http: //www. threegorgesprobe. org/tgp/index. cfm And multiple web sites China: Three Gorges Project 52

Want More Information? • Look at a past syllabus/reading list via my web page http: //www. ac. wwu. edu/~patrick/chinahome. htm • Want to travel there? ? ? Keep in contact China: Three Gorges Project 53

Study Tours to China Summer Quarter 1999 -2001 • 4 Weeks Prep at WWU • 3 Weeks in China • Traveled with Chinese Students • Organized Mini-Conference • Worked in Pairs for local interview • Cost around $3000 China: Three Gorges Project 54