(May 25, 2011) Contradicting official claims that the Three Gorges reservoir plays no part in exacerbating the drought in the Yangtze River basin, Ma Jun of the Beijing-based Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, a non-government organization, told Reuters: “Without the Three Gorges Dam, the water level in the Yangtze would not be that low.” Faced with the downstream drought crisis, Three Gorges officials have been ordered to release water, thus hampering their ability to generate power. Added Ma: “Fundamentally there is a conflict between hydropower generation and water supply, irrigation, and navigation.”
Other News Sources
Officials Admit Dam Flaws
(May 25, 2011) Amid China’s worst drought in decades, authorities acknowledge problems with a major river project.
The truth about the Three Gorges dam
(May 24, 2011) It has only taken ninety years, but China’s leaders have finally admitted that the Three Gorges Dam is a disaster.
Three Gorges Corp. admits financial problems
(May 23, 2011) A government audit of Three Gorges Corp., the operator of the Three Gorges Dam, discovered 31 financial problems relating to “accounting, financial management, investment, bidding and corporate management”. Dai Qing is quoted on water shortfalls caused by the dam in this Wall Street Journal article.
Golf courses proliferate in China, defying gov’t ban
(May 22, 2011) Spurred by China’s rapid economic growth and soaring living standards, golf is now enjoying an explosion in popularity in the world’s second-largest economy with a number of golf courses being built in recent years, despite the country’s ban on golf course construction due to land use concerns.
Severe water shortage hits China’s capital
(May 21, 2011) Recently, Beijing Water Authority revealed that the city’s per capita water resources has declined to 100 cubic meters, far lower than the international warning line for water shortage — 1,000 cubic meters.
Low water prices fuel Beijing’s water shortage
(May 20, 2011) In addition to natural conditions, the water shortage in Beijing is aggravated by low water prices which do not reflect the scarcity of water resources. Low water prices are equivalent to subsidizing those enterprises which consume more water, says Fu Tao, Director of the Water Policy Research Center at Tsinghua University.
China warns of ‘urgent problems’ facing Three Gorges dam
(May 20, 2011) For years, officials focused on the dam’s achievements and tried to stifle domestic criticism of the project. As reality sets in, the government’s public analysis has become increasingly sober. But Probe International Fellow and longtime critic of the dam Dai Qing claims the government’s current efforts to ease the project’s risks are too late, if they’re sincerely meant at all: “The government built a dam but destroyed a river,” she says.
New feature! Three Gorges Dam reservoir level
(May 20, 2011) Probe International has added a new Three Gorges Dam monitoring feature.
Fengtai Sinkhole Sparks Worries of Future Catastrophes
(May 19, 2011) Beijing’s Fengtai District grabbed headlines in April when the ground beneath Shiliuzhuang Lu opened up suddenly and swallowed a passing truck. This isn’t the first time sinkholes have appeared in the capital. In 2007, and again in 2009, sinkholes opened up near Dawang Bridge in the CBD, leaving residents to wonder if the great Fengtai sinkhole of 2011 might not be the last time the capital’s ground drops out from under it.
Beijing Admits to ‘Urgent’ Problems with Three Gorges Dam
(May 19, 2011) In a rare admission of problems associated with one of its signature infrastructure projects, China’s government warned Thursday that all is not well with the Three Gorges Dam.
Severe drought saps Chinese power output
(May 18, 2011) Water depth at Three Gorges Dam stood at 154.8 meters on Tuesday afternoon.
China acknowledges downside to Three Gorges Dam
(May 18, 2011) The government of China has issued a rare acknowledgment of the issues dogging the country’s massive Three Gorges Dam project. Longtime dam critic and Probe International Fellow Dai Qing calls out the move as a likely “attempt to shirk responsibility”.
Chongqing’s biggest dam to start construction
(May 18, 2011) Chongqing’s biggest hydropower development is set to begin construction after adjustments to a fish conservation area on the Yangtze river were agreed to by the State Council.
Lawrence Solomon: Fair-trade coffee producers often end up poorer
(May 14, 2011) Coffee is one of our guilty pleasures, and not only because of the calories that can be packed into a double latte. Many of us feel guilty that our pleasure is coming at the expense of the Third World coffee farmer, so much so that we gladly pay more for “fair trade” coffee, which certifies that farmers receive more revenue for their crop.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
Lisa Peryman
Probe Media
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Probe International 