(May 20, 2006) The dam’s most outspoken opponent is Dai Qing, a journalist turned activist whose book Yangtze! Yangtze , which argued that the dam is a waste of money and an environment disaster, brought her 10 months in a maximum security jail.

Article excerpt: … “Deng Xiaoping made two mistakes: one is June 4th [Tiananmen Square], the other is Three Gorges Dam,” Ms Dai said. “China’s rivers are being ruined by these greedy and corrupt officials.” …

Patricia Adams, of Canadian environmental advocacy organisation Probe International, said governments continue to be attracted by huge infrastructure projects over smaller, more efficient, projects or reining in energy use. Probe International has campaigned intensively against the Three Gorges Dam.

“Projects like this can only go ahead as long as it’s governed by propaganda, as long as the proponents don’t have to be accountable, for example, to taxpayers, independent regulators or the stockmarket,” she said. ”

Meanwhile, what people really need is power, the ability to move back and forth on the river, and flood control.” But even Ms Dai concedes that the Three Gorges Dam has had one benefit. It has nurtured environmental awareness in a country that has traditionally valued development at any cost. Environmental reporting is becoming mainstream and government agencies are working with green groups.

Read the full story [PDF].

Press, Mary-Anne Toy, May 20, 2006