Flashcards in China Three Gorges Dam Deck (52):
1
How long did it take to complete the dam?
17 years
2
When was the dam completed?
2009
3
How long is the dam?
2.3 km
4
How high is the dam?
> 100 m high
5
How much water in the reservoir?
> 1 trillion
6
2 reasons for construction of dam
- prevent seasonal flooding which caused deaths
- HEP for central and eastern China
7
2 social pros of dam
1. Reduced risk of flooding
2. Reservoir increases water availability
8
By how much has the risk of flooding reduced?
1 in 10 years ---> 1 in 100
9
How many people were affected and how many died in 1954 floods?
19 M affected
30,000 deaths
10
What can the reservoir water be used for? (3)
Irrigation, industry and consumption
11
How many people have more water and in which part of China due to dam?
400 million in water deficient northern China
12
3 economic advantages of dam
1. HEP
2. Improved navigation along river
3. Increased tourism
13
How much electricity does the dam generate per hour?
84 billion KW of electricity per hour
14
How many people does the dam supply energy to who previously had no power?
60 million people
15
How many nuclear power plants is the HEP from the dam equivalent
15
16
How much further upstream can ships travel and why?
6000 km
River deeper
17
By how much has trade increased due to the dam?
Transportation of goods increased from 10M to 50M tonnes per year
18
How much have transportation costs been reduced by?
Between 30 and 37% cheaper
19
By how much has the max ship size allowed on the river increased?
Max was 1500 ton
Now 10,000 ton
20
Why and to where has tourism increased?
- Reservoir view pleasing
- Largest dam
- Ocean vessels can travel further inland and reach Chongqing
21
1 environmental pro of dam
Reduced use of non renewable resources in future due to cleaner and renewable HEP
22
How much CO2 prevented if dam used to full capacity?
100 M tons
23
How many tonnes of coal is equivalent to the dam turbines?
40 M tonnes
24
4 social cons of dam
- People displaced
- Towns and villages flooded
- Risk of landslides
- Loss of historical sites
25
How many people displaced for reservoir and from how many villages?
1.2 M people from over 10 villages
26
How many more people will be displaced by 2020 and why?
530,000 people to relieve pressure on weak slopes
27
How many towns did the reservoir submerge?
140 towns
28
Which city was flooded and by how much was water level raised by?
Wuhan
Water level raised by 600 foot
29
By how much has the risk of landslide increased and why?
70%
Due to water level reaching 175 meters
30
When was there a landslide and how many people did it kill?
2007
48 killed
31
How many historical sites destroyed
1300
32
What effect has the loss of historical sites had?
Reduced tourism
33
3 economic cons
- Huge cost
- Farmland flooded
- Poverty
34
What was the overall cost of the dam?
$37 billion
35
Why was the flooded farmland important for China?
It provided 70% China's rice crop
36
How much farmland was lost?
14,500 hectares
37
Were relocated farmers given good land?
NO - they were given steep slopes = reduction in food production
38
What percentage of the relocatees live in extreme poverty?
70%
39
What led to urban slums?
Promises of land and jobs to relocatees not met
40
4 environmental cons
1. Reduced sediment downstream
2. Altered ecosystem = endangered species
3. Silt deposited in reservoir
4. Pollution
41
By how much did sediment downstream reduce and between when?
By 50%
1998 - 2004
42
Why is the building up of sediment behind the dam problematic?
- Need dredging to remove it so dam doesn't fail
- More erosion downstream as faster flow due to less sediment= levees eroded = flooding more likely
43
2 species endangered
Giant panda, Yangtze Dolphin
44
How many species of fish near extinction and why?
Migration of fish disrupted
6 species near extinction (2003 study showed)
45
2 problems with silt deposited in reservoir
- Not deposited on farmland = less fertile
- Reduces storage ability
46
How much silt into reservoir per year
530 million tonnes
47
How much untreated waste does which city dump in river each year?
Chongqing dumps 1 billion tonnes
48
How does pollution of river affect wildlife.
Leads to algae booms
Kills wildlife
49
Should the dam have been built?
No
50
6 reasons why the dam shouldn't have been built
- Not used to full capacity due to droughts = full benefits not seen
- 12% resettlement budget embezzled
- Human costs > economic benefits
- Knock on effects have reversed benefits of flood control
- Cost of project won't be repaid by amount of HEP
- Huge impact on environment - should have chosen sustainable approach
51
How much of resettlement budget embezzled?
12%
52