rogerluli Posted October 12, 2007 Report Share Posted October 12, 2007 Ah if friend Jesse doesn't want to hear bad news from the countryside how about this from the Three Gorges Dam... Three Gorges Dam could be environmental disaster China plans to relocate 4m people from the hillsides around the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest, in an unprecedented effort to stave off an environmental disaster. The huge project will take between 10-15 years to complete, but was necessary as the area's "ecological safety" was at risk, according to senior officials. The announcement comes in the wake of increasingly panicked reports of the environmental effects of the £13bn dam, one of the world's most ambitious infrastructure projects, whose first stage opened in 2003. It has enabled container shipping to reach all the way up the Yangtze River from Shanghai to Chongqing, the biggest city of south-west China, and its hydro-electric turbines will eventually generate as much electricity as 18 nuclear power stations, but at huge cost. The river is silting up due to the reduced flow of water, while the residue of human and industrial waste gathering behind the dam is causing water quality to deteriorate. Of most immediate concern is erosion, with the hillsides suffering a series of landslides and the Three Gorges Reservoir's shoreline collapsing in more than 90 places, according to one study. Last week, a government report admitted: "There exist many ecological and environmental problems concerning the Three Gorges Dam. If no preventive measures are taken, the project could lead to catastrophe." The latest plans were unveiled as part of a regional planning strategy for Chongqing. The city is probably the fastest growing metropolis the world has ever seen, adding half a million residents a year as government leaders turn it into an industrial hub for China's underdeveloped western regions. In all, of the 30m residents of the region, a staggering 10m are expected to move from the countryside to towns and cities by 2020. Of those, four million will be from areas directly alongside the reservoir. The city itself is located at the western head of the Three Gorges Reservoir created by the dam, but it has administrative oversight for a string of other cities, towns and villages along the reservoir's banks. The rural areas are said to be suffering land shortages as the hundreds of thousands of people forced to move up the hillsides away from the rising waters compete for space. According to official figures, 1.4 million people have so far been moved from 116 cities and towns flooded by the dam. Unofficial estimates say another 500,000 people may have been affected. Jiang Yong, the city's development director, said that this had exacerbated the overpopulation already threatening the quality of land in the region. "The environment here has changed greatly due to the Three Gorges project and massive population relocation," he said. Yi Yuanmu, the city's vice-mayor, said the four million would be relocated to new towns to be built an hour from Chongqing's city centre. The plan does not say what incentives would be given to the residents to move. Relocation for the reservoir itself proved one of the most politically sensitive issues of recent years in China, with repeated clashes between local officials, police and villagers who either did not want to move or who claimed that their compensation had been embezzled. Link to comment
SinoTexas Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 Ah if friend Jesse doesn't want to hear bad news from the countryside how about this from the Three Gorges Dam... Three Gorges Dam could be environmental disaster China plans to relocate 4m people from the hillsides around the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest, in an unprecedented effort to stave off an environmental disaster. The huge project will take between 10-15 years to complete, but was necessary as the area's "ecological safety" was at risk, according to senior officials. The announcement comes in the wake of increasingly panicked reports of the environmental effects of the £13bn dam, one of the world's most ambitious infrastructure projects, whose first stage opened in 2003. It has enabled container shipping to reach all the way up the Yangtze River from Shanghai to Chongqing, the biggest city of south-west China, and its hydro-electric turbines will eventually generate as much electricity as 18 nuclear power stations, but at huge cost. The river is silting up due to the reduced flow of water, while the residue of human and industrial waste gathering behind the dam is causing water quality to deteriorate. Of most immediate concern is erosion, with the hillsides suffering a series of landslides and the Three Gorges Reservoir's shoreline collapsing in more than 90 places, according to one study. Last week, a government report admitted: "There exist many ecological and environmental problems concerning the Three Gorges Dam. If no preventive measures are taken, the project could lead to catastrophe." The latest plans were unveiled as part of a regional planning strategy for Chongqing. The city is probably the fastest growing metropolis the world has ever seen, adding half a million residents a year as government leaders turn it into an industrial hub for China's underdeveloped western regions. In all, of the 30m residents of the region, a staggering 10m are expected to move from the countryside to towns and cities by 2020. Of those, four million will be from areas directly alongside the reservoir. The city itself is located at the western head of the Three Gorges Reservoir created by the dam, but it has administrative oversight for a string of other cities, towns and villages along the reservoir's banks. The rural areas are said to be suffering land shortages as the hundreds of thousands of people forced to move up the hillsides away from the rising waters compete for space. According to official figures, 1.4 million people have so far been moved from 116 cities and towns flooded by the dam. Unofficial estimates say another 500,000 people may have been affected. Jiang Yong, the city's development director, said that this had exacerbated the overpopulation already threatening the quality of land in the region. "The environment here has changed greatly due to the Three Gorges project and massive population relocation," he said. Yi Yuanmu, the city's vice-mayor, said the four million would be relocated to new towns to be built an hour from Chongqing's city centre. The plan does not say what incentives would be given to the residents to move. Relocation for the reservoir itself proved one of the most politically sensitive issues of recent years in China, with repeated clashes between local officials, police and villagers who either did not want to move or who claimed that their compensation had been embezzled. You are right on with this one, as much as I hate to say it Roger. The heritage tourism and envoronmental issues project that I have been involved with is based out of Three Gorges University in Yichang. I know the area and the environmental genocide of the region very well. A lot of this has already happened and life is not fun there. The folks that have been relocated certainly have better houses/apartments than what they used to live in, but they also don't have any jobs either in their new cities... As aye, Jim As aye, Jim Link to comment
David&Wendy Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 The folks that have been relocated certainly have better houses/apartments than what they used to live in, but they also don't have any jobs either in their new cities... As aye, Jim This does create other socialogical problems with that many people influx to the city without legal jobs will create a new or much large seedy illegal/underground economy covering all the usual vices to supply people their needs while extracting a high price. Link to comment
Dan R Posted October 13, 2007 Report Share Posted October 13, 2007 There are also altitude issues to deal with. This changes a lot of things for people. Going up the Changjiang we passed areas where people that lived along the river were moved up to the crests of mountains that would eventually be the river bank. As I looked at the people milling around the new homes it brought many thoughts to mind. One was that these river people now live among the clouds. Humidity and barometic pressure will vary greatly. The psychological impact has to be tremendous. Link to comment
Dennis143 Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Reading and hearing about all this is simply mind-boggling. Certainly, China wants to dig itself out from being a third-world country and on to prosperity. But, at what cost? And, at what point if ever will they stop to realize that the price is (or was) just too high? Or, is it only a matter of those at the top continue to get richer at the expense of those at the bottom?.. Link to comment
Dan R Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Reading and hearing about all this is simply mind-boggling. Certainly, China wants to dig itself out from being a third-world country and on to prosperity. But, at what cost? And, at what point if ever will they stop to realize that the price is (or was) just too high? Or, is it only a matter of those at the top continue to get richer at the expense of those at the bottom?.. Like many cases here with the remaking of America in the 60s & 70s, I think it is more a matter of the powers that be believing it is for the better good. Just in China everything is on a larger scale. THe idea is to use the dams to stop the annual flooding that kills many and forces emergency relocation as well as effecting crops raised to feed everyone. Man once again prefers to control nature rather than life with her. It is what has happened over and over as long as the city dweller has tried to hold still tather than permit the nomadic life style more in keeping with nature. Link to comment
Guest ShaQuaNew Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Ah if friend Jesse doesn't want to hear bad news from the countryside how about this from the Three Gorges Dam... Roger, isn't this your sister? http://i20.tinypic.com/14y48wp.jpg Link to comment
rogerluli Posted October 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Ah if friend Jesse doesn't want to hear bad news from the countryside how about this from the Three Gorges Dam... Roger, isn't this your sister? http://i20.tinypic.com/14y48wp.jpg Sorry Jesse... I'm an ONLY child... Can't you tell??? Link to comment
Guest ShaQuaNew Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Ah if friend Jesse doesn't want to hear bad news from the countryside how about this from the Three Gorges Dam... Roger, isn't this your sister? http://i20.tinypic.com/14y48wp.jpg Sorry Jesse... I'm an ONLY child... Can't you tell??? No, I'm not buying it. The resemblance is just too strong. It's gotta either be your sister, twin, or body double. Link to comment
rogerluli Posted October 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Ah if friend Jesse doesn't want to hear bad news from the countryside how about this from the Three Gorges Dam... Roger, isn't this your sister? http://i20.tinypic.com/14y48wp.jpg Sorry Jesse... I'm an ONLY child... Can't you tell??? No, I'm not buying it. The resemblance is just too strong. It's gotta either be your sister, twin, or body double. Jesse this is a SERIOUS thread and forum... Any further attempts by you at humor will be harshly dealt with... :o:P Link to comment
Guest ShaQuaNew Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Ah if friend Jesse doesn't want to hear bad news from the countryside how about this from the Three Gorges Dam... Roger, isn't this your sister? http://i20.tinypic.com/14y48wp.jpg Sorry Jesse... I'm an ONLY child... Can't you tell??? No, I'm not buying it. The resemblance is just too strong. It's gotta either be your sister, twin, or body double. Jesse this is a SERIOUS thread and forum... Any further attempts by you at humor will be harshly dealt with... :o:P I'm sorry for that Roger really. I guess she's not your sister after all. Is this your brother? http://i24.tinypic.com/2re1dus.jpg Link to comment
rogerluli Posted October 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 Ah if friend Jesse doesn't want to hear bad news from the countryside how about this from the Three Gorges Dam... Roger, isn't this your sister? http://i20.tinypic.com/14y48wp.jpg Sorry Jesse... I'm an ONLY child... Can't you tell??? No, I'm not buying it. The resemblance is just too strong. It's gotta either be your sister, twin, or body double. Jesse this is a SERIOUS thread and forum... Any further attempts by you at humor will be harshly dealt with... :P I'm sorry for that Roger really. I guess she's not your sister after all. Is this your brother? http://i24.tinypic.com/2re1dus.jpg Well you've got me there since I NEVER watch American news I have no idea who this guy is but as I've already tried to get it through your thick skull... that I do NOT have siblings I can only reply... Have a nice day... Link to comment
Guest ShaQuaNew Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 (edited) Well you've got me there since I NEVER watch American news I have no idea who this guy is but as I've already tried to get it through your thick skull... that I do NOT have siblings I can only reply... Have a nice day... Really sorry about that. Maybe somewhere in your post there may be something positive to say about China. Or at least the other side of the story. Isn't there? Edited October 14, 2007 by ShaQuaNew (see edit history) Link to comment
chilton747 Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 A country has to give up some to gain some. This is the case with all countries that need to expand. As Don said, the US is a prime example that we are most familiar with. Link to comment
Don Posted October 14, 2007 Report Share Posted October 14, 2007 I did not find roger's post negative. To me, we study an event and find a path forward that gives the best results. Seeing problems is not a negative but the path to the future. I guess it could be a negative if you never look for and find that path forward. Jim (SinoTexas), I am interesed in your work with the University near the Dam. Any links to the project so we can look at it? Link to comment
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