The Three Gorges Dam was built to generate hydroelectric power, which is much cleaner than the coal burning China has relied heavily for decades. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn protects the ozone layer. All of this is great revolutionary thinking except that in the new millennium, newer, cheaper and better alternatives such as gas-fueled combined cycle plants produce virtually no pollution or greenhouse gases. Therefore, the environmental problems created by the dam will surpass the side effects of coal burning. Water pollution and deforestation are two primary examples that may come into play, as more factories and industrial ships are relocated near the reservoir. The dam would also alter the current ecosystem and threaten the habitats of various species of animals. The project would erode much of the coastline from excess logging and ruin the natural legendary beauty of the gorges, which will also harm the multi-million dollar tourism industry.
Environmental problems are also created as a result of the dam. Although the installation of ship locks would increase the volume of river shipping dramatically, the heavy siltation will clog ports behind the dam within a few years and negate any improvements to navigation. The heavy siltation will also decrease flood storage capacity of the reservoir, and will not prevent floods on downstream tributaries caused by deforestation. This defeats the very purpose of building the dam in the first place. In addition, technological advancements have made hydroelectric dams obsolete and a decentralized energy market will allow ratepayers to switch to cheaper cleaner power supplies. The dam will simply become an impractical expensive piece of display model.
Aside from the economic, environmental and technological problems that the dam creates, perhaps the biggest drawback revolves around social problems. The dam will create somewhat 15 million refugees who must relocate and find elsewhere to live. These people are being discriminated against and being abandoned by the government. They are often crowded onto poor land with unsatisfactory living conditions and few job opportunities, they are not being taught new skills, and corruption is diverting the funds, which were set out to compensate them. Their local culture is being threatened, but worst of all their lives are in jeopardy. The social instability as well as the resentment from these people that are created as a direct result of the construction of the dam will be remembered for generations to come.
A mistake was made in 1989. The primary motive of building the dam was for political reasons. Te dam would be the world’s largest hydroelectric dam, which would show China’s prestige and confirm its technological prowess and the superiority of socialism. This way of thinking totally neglects the economic problems, environmental problems, technological problems and social problems that it creates. The dam creates funding problems, erosion along the coastline of the reservoir, alteration of the ecosystems of many species of animals, water pollution, deforestation, resettlement of 15 million people and heavy siltation. As the final chapter of the story comes to an end, the Three Gorges Dam would become obsolete, and would show China’s lack of responsibility in creating this expensive dormant monster.
