Category Archives: Yangtze Floods and Drought

Too many masters

Posted on August 20, 2012 by

(August 20, 2012) A severe test of the Three Gorges dam’s capacity to withstand a major flood peak in July initially showed the mighty dam ready and able. However, downstream areas found themselves at higher risk when floodwaters were released by the dam. Meanwhile, upstream areas are impacted when the dam holds floodwaters back. This article looks at the many pressures, and potential disasters, weighing on the ability of China’s biggest dam to fulfill its design mandate and asks: is July’s flood peak—the biggest test of the dam so far in its nine-year history—just the start? Continue reading →

Posted in China's Dams, Dams and Earthquakes, Dams and Landslides, Three Gorges, Three Gorges Probe, Yangtze Floods and Drought | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

China’s new mega-dam is a mega-problem

Posted on July 13, 2012 by

(July 12, 2012) Almost 20 years in the making, China’s Three Gorges mega-dam was declared complete on July 4 when the last of its 32 generators went online, 10 years after the first turbine went into operation. There is no end in sight, however, for costs associated with the vast and controversial project, which remains closer to disaster than triumph. Continue reading →

Posted in Beijing Water, China's Dams, Chinese Environmentalists, Dams and Earthquakes, Dams and Landslides, Probe International in the News, Sediment, Three Gorges, Three Gorges Probe, Yangtze Drought and Pollution, Yangtze Floods and Drought, Yangtze Power | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

New wave of Three Gorges-sized dams raise old fears

Posted on July 6, 2012 by

(July 6, 2012) Experts fear a proposed dam cascade slated for the Jinsha River, a tributary of the upper Yangtze River, could spell disaster. Reports on dam construction in western China’s seismic hazard zones and the risks of over-damming, released by Probe International earlier this year, are highlighted. Continue reading →

Posted in China Energy Industry, China's Dams, Dams and Earthquakes, Dams and Landslides, Probe International in the News, Three Gorges Probe, Yangtze Floods and Drought | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A new threat to safety along the Yangtze River

Posted on May 11, 2012 by

(May 11, 2012) Chinese hydropower magnates plan to build 25 new dam reservoirs on the Yangtze’s upper reaches despite warnings of seismic risks from dam-building overload in the area, and in spite of recent evacuation efforts due to the threat of geological disaster at Three Gorges. Continue reading →

Posted in China's Dams, Dams and Earthquakes, Probe International in the News, RIS, Sediment, Three Gorges Probe, Yangtze Drought and Pollution, Yangtze Floods and Drought, Yangtze Power | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Press Release: Three Gorges tourism – boom or bust?

Posted on April 24, 2012 by

(April 24, 2012) The Three Gorges Dam project was supposed to energize the Three Gorges region but a new study from Probe International reveals the dam is jeopardizing a once spectacular gorges region and water tourist idyll, and has drained the area’s vitality, stability and ecology. Continue reading →

Posted in China's Dams, Dams and Earthquakes, Dams and Fish, Dams and Landslides, Probe International in the News, Sediment, Three Gorges, Three Gorges Probe, Yangtze Drought and Pollution, Yangtze Floods and Drought, Yangtze Power | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Did the Three Gorges Dam create China’s devastating drought?

Posted on November 28, 2011 by

(November 28, 2011) China’s Academy of Social Sciences says the Three Gorges Dam is not to blame for this year’s devastating drought. That is wrong, says Probe International’s Patricia Adams, who explains why Three Gorges is making downstream water shortages a chronic problem. Continue reading →

Posted in China's Dams, Probe International in the News, Three Gorges Probe, Yangtze Floods and Drought | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

A litany of troubles at Three Gorges Dam

Posted on October 17, 2011 by

To most observers, Chinese officialdom has supported the Three Gorges Dam without fail. But a closer look reveals growing worries about the dam which has become a symbol of all that is wrong with China’s rise. Here we present Chinese officials’ admissions of problems at Three Gorges, from the sensational mea culpas of senior officials to the subtly expressed worries of eminent scientists. Continue reading →

Posted in Three Gorges Probe, Three Gorges, RIS, China's Dams, China Energy Industry, China Pollution, Yangtze Drought and Pollution, Yangtze Floods and Drought | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Three Gorges Dam faces Yangtze flood crest

Posted on September 21, 2011 by

(September 21, 2011) The Three Gorges Dam faced a test as torrential rain upstream caused the year’s largest flood crest. Continue reading →

Posted in China's Dams, Three Gorges Probe, Yangtze Floods and Drought | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment