What are the comprehensive benefits of the Three Gorges Dam?

The Three Gorges Dam is a major water conservancy project in China, which has the benefits of power generation, flood control, shipping and water resources provision.

Power generation benefit: The Three Gorges Dam is one of the largest hydropower stations in the world, with an installed capacity of 225,000 MW. It can provide a lot of clean energy for China and its surrounding areas, reduce dependence on traditional fossil energy and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide.

2. Flood control benefits: The Three Gorges Dam can regulate the flood of the Yangtze River and reduce the flood risk in downstream areas. It can absorb and store river water, release the reservoir to store water during flood peak, and reduce the flood threat in downstream areas.

3. Shipping benefits: The ship lock system of the dam can provide good shipping conditions, promote the development of inland river traffic, improve shipping efficiency and facilitate cargo transportation.

4. Providing water resources benefits: The Three Gorges Dam can regulate river flow, provide stable water resources, meet the water demand of upstream and downstream areas, and support the water demand of agricultural irrigation, urban water supply and industrial water.

5. Sand-retaining benefit: The dam can intercept the sediment and suspended matter in the Yangtze River, reduce the sedimentation in the downstream, and protect the ecological environment of the river and its coast.

6. Tourism and ecological benefits: The Three Gorges Dam and its surrounding areas have natural and cultural landscapes and become one of the famous tourist attractions.

Some negative effects of the Three Gorges Dam

1. Resettlement: The construction of the Three Gorges Dam needs to flood a lot of land, which involves the relocation of immigrants along the Yangtze River. Millions of residents had to leave their homes and resettle. There may be social and economic adaptation problems in the process of relocation, which will have a certain impact on immigrant individuals and communities.

2. Changes in ecological environment: After the dam impounded, the original river ecosystem changed. It mainly includes the slowdown of river velocity, the change of water quality and the fluctuation of water level. This may lead to wetland degradation, fish migration blocked, aquatic habitat loss and other problems, and have a certain impact on the ecological environment.

3. Downcut scour: After the dam impounded, the lower reaches of the Yangtze River faced the problem of insufficient sediment supply, which led to downcut scour. This may have a certain impact on the stability of downstream dikes and channel conditions.