The Yangze River Located in China

The Yangze River located in China has been causing chaos for thousands of years. Communities located along and near the rivers basin have been combating floods and droughts, at times severe enough to kill. And if the deaths involving the flood was not bad enough, a tenth of all grown grain was destroyed. Obviously, damming the river is something China has wanted to do for quite some time. Damming the river would not only save lives but also make it possible to produce hydropower. In the 1990's China started the dam project, naming the dam Three Georges Dam (TGD). The name Three Georges Dam came from the dam flooding three upstream gorges. The reservoir began to fill in 2003 and by 2008 the dam was in full operation.

The dam is designed to produce the power equivalent to 18 nuclear power plants. The dam was also designed to improve and maximize agricultural productivity downstream. And finally, the new reservoir would be utilized as a line of communication for large ships.

Although the TGD does provide relief in many aspects it does not come with out collateral damage. Some 1.5 million community residents have been displaced, usually with out the compensation to adequately relocate and start over. There is speculation the rare Yangze river dolphin existence may be endangered due to pollutants entering the system. The pollutants could, and most likely will affect many other species within the river. Another consequence associated with the dam is the historical and cultural treasures preservation. Many historical sites such as temples, ancient hanging coffins and massive canyon wall writings have been submerged.

Like many projects of this scale, it is uncertain exactly all the repercussions associated with changes this large. Research has shown an abundant of benefits associated with the dam, even saving lives and producing energy. The dam also brought a lot of negative with it. According to research and study it appears the dam brings more devastation rather than preservation.