The Controversy Behind China’s Dams

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The Controversy Behind Chinas Dams

• Sophia Luong
• Megan Kleinedler
• Eric Sorenson

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Why is this important to research?

• The goals of dam construction in China are to
  achieve the maximum possible benefits by
  minimizing the negative effects on the social,
  environmental, ecological aspects and cultural
  relics through fully and rationally utilizing the
  nature resources
• Calls attention to possible negative impacts of a
  supposed cheap and safe method of energy.

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Question

• Do the positive impacts of Chinas dams outweigh
  the negative effects on China and downstream
  countries?

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Background Info on Dams

• Energy ? Electricity

• Trap water flowing downhill and use the energy to
  turn turbines

(http//www.colorado.edu/GeolSci/courses/GEOL3520/
Topic7/Topic7.html)
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History of Chinas Dam Projects

• 1949
• Heavily campaigned dam projects during Communist
  era
• Engineering achievements, in actuality, led to
  thousands of collapsed dams
• -Banqiao dam
• Poor construction/planning

http//www.taipeitimes.com/News/quake/photo/1999/0
9/28/0000000858
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Three Gorges Dam
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Gorges_DamHist
ory

• Largest hydroelectric dam in the world
• Benefits
• - Flood control
• - Hydroelectric power
• Costs
• - 1.9 million people displaced
• - environment
• - cultural sites

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(No Transcript)
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Debate!!
Megan Kleinedler
vs.
Chinese farmer forced to resettle in Cambodia
Head coordinator of Three Gorges Dam river project
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• Cost

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Resettlement
Roughly 70 percent of the countrys 10.2 million
"reservoir relocatees" were still living in
"extreme poverty after the resettlement.
http//www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/1999/china.50/asian.su
perpower/three.gorges/
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Environment
http//www.asianresearch.org/articles/2091.html
http//www.terradaily.com/images/china-beijing-pol
lution-traffic-nov-2005-afp-bg.jpg
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Local Culture and Natural Beauty
http//www.threegorgesprobe.org/probeint/ThreeGorg
es/photos.html
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• Countries estimated to have the largest
  irrigation systems - 1997

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Navigation
http//www.china.org.cn/english/2005/Oct/146970.ht
m
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Power Generation
Coal
Solar
http//blogs.ittefaq.com/tech/archives/2005/10/
http//www.terradaily.com/news/energy-tech-05zi.ht
ml
Hydroelectric
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Flood Control
http//www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-09/02/xin
src_ee46be1bdf714d779c990f61fe8db79c_flood.jpg
Disease
http//www.nidcd.nih.gov/news/releases/02/10_21_02
.asp