CASE STUDY - Water Management Scheme - THREE GORGES DAM

This project began in 1994 by the Chinese Government - this is estimated to cost over $75 billion USD, the US Export-Import Bank refused to finance loans for this project.

• Built the largest hydroelectric power-station in the world!
• It was a multi billion USD project
• This took place on China's Yangtze River

Why did they do it?

• Intended to save lives --> controls flooding
• To generate 15% of China's electricity
• Produce hydroelectric Power (Clean energy) -->BETTER REPUTATION
• Environmentally friendly!

ADVANTAGES

• New navigation across the river --> efficient raw material transit --> economical growth
• reduced transportation & navigational transit --> cheap labour -->money!
• former farmers who lost their jobs because of this project no cater by driving boats across the river --> they earn money!
• tourism: in 2007 there were more than 800,000 tourists! --> $15 million USD

DISADVANTAGES

• This project is over $75 billion USD
• Locals had to resettle and leave their jobs

ADVANTAGES

• Saves lives by controlling flood ( in the past - more than 300,000 people have been killed due to flooding in the river)
• Creates jobs for locals --> catering tourists such as boat drivers

DISADVANTAGES

• 1.4 million people had to resettle --> lost their homes and jobs
• --> The water levels rise to around 175 m above sea level
• Chinese workers have been working everyday for 14 years

ADVANTAGES:

• Generating clean energy by water passing through turbines (84.6 billion kilowatt hours = 19 nuclear power plants)
• Annual coal emissions reduced by 150 million tonnes!
• Environmentally friendly

DISADVANTAGES:

• Landslides occur more frequently due to sea levels' rise and fall.
• Large amount of water behind the damn --> erosion when water rises and falls
• Ground water contamination --> 1 billion tonnes of water is released to the river --> animals such as the Yangtze river dolphins are endangered