(November 7, 2003) Celebrated water engineer Zhang Guangdou has for the first time publicly called for the disastrous Sanmenxia dam on the Yellow River, which he helped design in the 1950s, to be shut down.

When Premier Wen Jiabao swiftly resolved one family’s problem during a Three Gorges inspection tour, the story was splashed across an official press eager to portray him as a man of the people. Many other migrants could also use his help.

The builders of the Three Gorges dam intend to fill the reservoir to 156 metres above sea level one year ahead of schedule, an official project publication has revealed.

Debt relief groups have urged Iraq’s debtors to adhere to a 100-year-old legal principle to resolve Iraq’s debt crisis and assist reconstruction efforts when they meet tomorrow in Madrid.

The Chinese press provides a few more details about the sudden decision to raise the Three Gorges reservoir faster than planned.

The builders of the Three Gorges dam have suddenly announced a dramatic change in the project schedule: The reservoir, which was filled to the 135-metre level in June, is to be raised an additional four metres by the end of October.

Thousands of monkeys that fled in fear as the Three Gorges reservoir began rising have returned to their native habitat on one of the Yangtze’s most beautiful tributaries. But they have come back to a much dirtier river.

Leading Chinese hydrologist Lu Qinkan has written a third petition to top authorities in Beijing, raising the alarm about three potentially disastrous problems related to the Three Gorges dam.

China has used both the SARS health crisis and the crackdown on the falun gong spiritual movement as reasons to detain migrants who dare to complain about the Three Gorges resettlement operation.