China warns of catastrophe from Three Gorges Dam

[Robbien]

Source: Reuters

<snip>

But even senior dam officials who have often defended the project as an engineering wonder and ecological boon now warn that areas around the dam are paying a heavy, potentially calamitous environmental cost. "There exist many ecological and environmental problems concerning the Three Gorges Dam," the senior officials were quoted as saying. "If no preventive measures are taken, the project could lead to catastrophe."

The $25 billion dam, whose construction flooded 116 towns and hundreds of cultural sites, is still a work in progress, but state media have said it could be completed by the end of 2008, just after the Beijing Olympic Games.

. . .

Wang cited a litany of threats, especially erosion and landslides on steep hills around the dam, conflicts over land shortages and "ecological deterioration caused by irrational development".

Tensions over residents resettled to steep hills where good farmland is scarce had been reduced and water quality in the dam was "generally stable", Xinhua said. But the officials and experts were worried about the landslides threatening densely populated hill country.

. . .

Huang described landslides into the dam waters making waves dozens of metres high that crashed into surrounding shores, creating even more damage.

The dam has displaced 1.4 million people and is retaining huge amounts of sediment and nutrients, damaging fish stocks and the fertility of farmland downstream, researchers say.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/PEK73224.htm

[baghdad_bush]

1. Idiots!!!

[enid602]

2. subway

In Beijing, serious cracks have developed in concrete subway tubes hurredly built (during the last few months) in anticipation of the Olympics. At fault: corrupt concrete contractors who want to save a few yuan by watering down the concrete.

[momster]

3. This Is How Pandemics Start

with a distruption in the natural order. Some microbe that has been living a happy little life in the lungs/intestine/blobby bits of some lizard or bird is going to be displaced by the human destruction up river, meet up with something human and efficient, go airborne and -- voila! -- the 2009 Flu.

I traveled down the Yangstze in March. The peace and quiet was unnatural to the extent that tourists were talking about how eerie it was to see the abandoned homes, farms and businesses. The displaced people are now living in much more crowded conditions, as they've been moved from their own homes into complexes. They are also traveling more, between where they live and where they work. Prime breeding conditions and travel planning for the next big Ill.

[cobalt1999]

4. Like they didn't see that coming.

I'm surprised the "senior officials" are still alive after going public with their concerns though.

[Beerboy]

9. Heh, that's grim,

and the likelihood they're still alive seems pretty remote at this point.

[liberal N proud]

5. Duh!

[Joe Chi Minh]

6. Hubris inviting nemesis in spades.

[kurth]

7. Not like nobody warned them

Cruel corrupt assholes.

[ohio2007]

8. ..if you build it, they will drown

btw
I think Taiwan threatened to destroy Three Gorges if China came after the Island.

it is their sword of Damocles

[pinniped]

10. They already killed off the Yangtze dolphins that used to roam around there.

.