Three gorges dam ( geography case study)

Where is the Three Gorges Dam Located?

The Three Gorges Dam is along the Yangtze River in China.

On what scale can the Three Gorges Dam produce electricity?

The Three Gorges Dam is over 2km long and 100m high with 32 turbines all with a capacity of 700MW each.

How many people were relocated to make way for the construction of the dam?

1.25 million people were relocated.

How does the capacity of The Three Gorges Dam compare on a global scale?

The Three Gorges Dam is the worlds largest electricity generating power plant and the greatest producer of hydroelectric energy production at 98.8TWh

What is an advantage associated with the capacity of The Three Gorges Dam?

The Three Gorges Dam will generate up to 18 000 megawatts, eight times more than Egypt's Aswan Dam and 50% more than the worlds largest existing HEP dam, the Itapúa in Paraguay.

What are some environmental advantages of TGD?

It will enable China to reduce its dependency on Coal reducing emissions and it will supply clean energy to Shanghai and Chongqing.

What are some economic advantages of the TGD?

It will allow shipping above the Three Gorges (Dams have raised water levels by 90m and turned rapids in the gorge into a lake) and it has generated thousands of jobs.

What are some social advantages of the TGD?

It will protect 30 million people from flooding.

What are some social disadvantages of the TGD?

Most floods in recent years have come from rivers which join the Yangtze below the TGD and much of the land available to relocate is 800m above sea level and is colder with infertile thin soils on steep slopes. Dozens of towns, for example Wanxian and Fuling with 140 000 and 80 0000 people have been flooded. Archeaological treasures were drowned, including the Zhang Fei Temple.

What are some environmental disadvantages of the TGD?

The region is seismically active, and landslides are frequent, Dam interferes with aquatic life - the Siberian crane and the white flag dolphin are threatened with extinction.

What are some economic disadvantages of the TGD?

It has cost as much as $70bn, the port at the head of the lake may become silted up as a result of increased deposition and a development of a delta, and the TGD may quickly lose capacity due to river carrying 530mill tonnes of silt annually.