TheThreeGorgesProject:ABriefIntroductionADreamforGenerationstoComeTrueTheideaofbuildingagiganticdamintheThreeGorgesareatoharnesstheYangtzeRiverisnotnew.Morethanseventyyearago,Dr.SunYat-sen,pioneeroftheChinesedemocraticrevolution,firstproposedthataYangtzeThreeGorgesProjectbeconstructed.Later,numerousexpertsconductedinvestigationsonandpreparatoryworkfortheproject.Butbecauseofhistoricreasonsandlackofresources,thedevelopmentoftheprojectremainedonlyadream.SincethefoundingofthePeople?RepublicofChinain1949,theprojectwasbackontheagenda.Aftermeticulousfeasibilitystudiesbyexperts,itwasfinallyconcludedthatthemeritsoftheprojectfaroverweighitsdemerits.OnApril3,1992,theNationalPeople?Congressapprovedtheconstructionoftheproject.TheThreeGorgesProjecthasitsmainbenefitsinfloodcontrol,powergenerationandnavigation.Historically,thepopulationinthemiddleandlowerreachesoftheYangtzeRiversufferedtremendouslossesfromfloodingbothinhumanlivesandproperty.In1931alone,asaresultofflooding,333thousandhectaresofcultivatedlandwerestricken,145thousandpeopleweredrowned.Currently,15millionpeopleand1.6millionhectaresoflandalongtheJingjiangsectionoftheYangtzeRiverareseriousthreatenedbyflooding.Oncetheproject?reservoirwithfloodcontrolstorageof22.1billioncubicmetersiscompleted;theprojectcanraisefloodcontrolcapacityfromthepresent10-yearfrequencyto100-yearfrequency.Withitstotalinstalledcapacityof18,200MW,theThreeGorgesHydropowerStationwillgenerate84.7billionKWHayear,one-ninthofthenationaltotalgeneratedpower.Thirdly,theprojectwillenable10,000-tontowboatstosailup-streamasfarasChongqing.TheYangtze?Navigationcapacitywillthusbeincreasedfrom10millionto50milliontonsayearwiththecostloweredby35%-37%.ProblemstoBeResolvedTheprojectalsopresentsdauntingproblemswhichshouldbeproperlyhandledandsolvedtoavoidanypossibleundesiredimpacts.Theseincluderesettlementofpopulation,environmentalprotection,fundraising,etc.About1millionpeoplewillberelocatedowingtotheconstructionoftheproject.Thegovernmenthasattachedgreatimportancetotheissueanddecidedtoappropriatelargesumsofmoneyfortheresettlementprogram.Theguidingprincipleoftheprogramisthatthelifeoftherelocatescanonlybeimproved.Forthispurpose,thegovernmenthasadopteddevelopment-orientedresettlement,inotherwords,tocombineresettlementwithlocaleconomicdevelopment.Therelocatesfindhigher-payingjobsinthenewlysetupbusinesses,whichareusuallylocatedwithinthesamecountryorcity.Therefore,theyfeelquiteathomeandenjoyabetterlivingintheirnewhomes.Therehasbeenconcernaboutpossiblenegativeimpactsontheenvironmentbytheprojectbothathomeandabroad.Thisissuehasbeengivenveryseriousconsiderationandnumerousmeasureshavebeentakentoensureenvironmentalprotection.Forinstance,theprojectconstructionwillaffectthehabitatsofChineseriverdolphinandChinesesturgeon.So,thepresentprotectionareasandartificialbreedingfieldsforthemwillbefurtherperfected.Itisnotinsignificantthattheprojectwillsupplycleanenergy,replacingtheburningof50milliontonsofrawcoalannually.Accordingtocalculations,thedischargeintotheatmosphereof100milliontonsofcarbondioxide,1.2-2milliontonsofsulphur-dioxide,10,000tonsofcarbonmonoxide,alongwithlargeamountofflyingdustwillbedrasticallyreduced.44historicalrelicswillbeaffectedbytheprojectconstructionandmeasureswillbetakenfortheirprotection.Forexample,theWhiteCraneBackbone,anancientidentificationrecordofdryseasonsinthehistorywil...
