(February 29, 2000) It has been one of the most controversial public works projects in decades. Environmental activists are still enraged 12 years after work began. But despite all protests, work has finished on China’s Three Gorges Dam. It is scheduled to begin operations in 2008. … “All the fears we had before the dam have been confirmed. In fact, it’s even worse,” Dai Qing, a Chinese environmental activist who has served as one of the most vociferous critics of the project, told the German news agency DPA. Entire villages and cities, including factories and refuse dumps, have been flooded — dramatically increasing water pollution levels. The river’s current has also slowed and silt levels increased. The threat of earthquakes has risen as a result of increased water weight on fault lines in the area. Meanwhile, the project has also caused problems for the river’s shipping lanes. Financial and technical problems have delayed the construction of five locks and a ship lift, so cargo captains now suffer long waits before making passage through the dam area. Beijing’s resettlement policies have also come in for severe criticism: Critics have accused corrupt functionaries of embezzling funds. Now the Chinese want to solve the many technical problems with the aid of foreign firms, including two German companies contracted to build the ship lift. … Read the full story.

Spiegel Online, February 29, 2000