Rory C. Jose

The Environmental, Social, and Economic Impacts of Large Dams: A Case Study of the Three Gorges Dam in China

After examining various viewpoints from governments, environmentalists and economists on large dams, the focus of this study will be on the Three Gorges Dam in China . The Chinese government began construction of the large dam in 1997. According to Chinese officials, the dam will be completed in 2009. Not only is it important to understand the opinions of different groups, it is vital to understand the details and lessons of the Three Gorges Project, in order to make good decisions on future proposals to build large dams.

Following the investigation of the Three Gorges Dam, the study will focus on a proposed dam project on the Tiger Leaping Gorge in China . Building on the lessons from the Three Gorges case, should the Chinese Government construct another similar large dam? The government has two options. Chinese officials can choose to ignore the negative effects of the Three Gorges Dam project or they can review the impacts caused by the construction of the dam and perhaps scale down the project.

As the Three Gorges Dam is completed in 2009 there will be numerous environmental, human, economic and political impacts. The Chinese government is committed to the Three Gorges Dam, but there is hope for future proposed sites in China . Recently, an article in the New York Times discussed the controversy over the construction of the large dam on the Tiger Leaping Gorge. As of today the Chinese central government has not granted final approval. According to the article, environmental groups have issued a public petition to halt the project. The Chinese government needs to examine the costs and benefits of building large dams.

In the short term, large dams help develop a third world country but in the long run large dams cause irreversible environmental and social problems. Not all large dam projects should come to a halt but there needs to be a thorough examination of large dams and their impact on the environment and society. Recently, many organizations, such as the World Bank, have not supported numerous large dam projects because there are so many factors when building a large dam. This study will show the negative impacts of large dams on the environment and society is more significant then the positive effects of dams.