(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.
Chinese dams will damn the country
(April 12, 2012) Patricia Adams discusses a new report commissioned by Probe International in today’s Huffington Post Canada.
Chinadialogue: Talking about the Yarlung Zangbo
(November 17, 2011) The Yarlung Zangbo, or Brahmaputra, is a major international river passing through China, India and Bangladesh. Yet the countries share very little information on the river’s flow, or on their plans to build dams on it. chinadialogue reports on a workshop that brought together scientists and journalists from across the borders, and discusses the real risks of huge dams on the river.
Rush to Build Hydropower Poses Risks
(April 19, 2011) Experts warn of the dangers posed by China’s rush to build dams in seismically active areas.
Senior geologists strongly oppose expanding hydropower development on the Nu River
(April 18, 2011) Chinese geologists warn that hydropower development on the Nu River will pose grave risks to those living downstream.
China pledges to build more hydropower by 2015
(April 13, 2011) According to official Chinese media, China will be begin construction of hydro projects totaling 120 megawatts within the next five years.
Dams are worse
While many believe that nuclear is the most dangerous source of electricity, the designation actually belongs to major hydroelectric dams.
Public asked to report earthquake omens
(March 30, 2011) According to China Daily, the Chinese government is proposing new emergency preparedness measures which would encourage citizens to report signs of imminent earthquakes to officials, but forbid people from publicly predicting them.
Citizens’ group expresses concern over building dams in seismically active areas of India
(March 29, 2011) The North East People’s Alliance, a group composed of activists and NGOs in North East India, is calling for a halt to large hydro dams, which they fear will trigger further seismic activity in the area.
Mega dams, mega disquiet
(November 23, 2010) Writing in the Hindustan Times, Sanjib Kr Baruah reports on the growing protests to mega dam projects in India’s Arunachal Pradesh region.
Doug Tompkins: Environmental evaluation system a "farce"
(February 4, 2008) HidroAysen, a joint entity formed by Spanish-Italian electricity giant Endesa and Colbun, a Chilean energy company, plans to build five massive hydroelectric dams along Region XI’s Baker and Pascua Rivers. The Baker River, Chile’s largest, is in fact just a few miles from Tompkins’ Estancia Chacabuco, a massive stretch of pristine steppe land that Tompkins would eventually like to donate to the Chilean government.
China firm to build Myanmar hydro-power plants
(May 5, 2007) A Chinese firm will help military-run Myanmar build seven hydro-electric plants with combined power capacity likely to be the biggest in the Southeast Asian country, state media said on Saturday.
Report from the Nu River: “Nobody has told us anything.”
(August 2, 2006) In the Nu River valley in southwest China, exploration work is under way for a string of hydroelectric dams. Wang Yongchen visited the region to hear what local people have to say about the controversial project.
Patricia Adams
Dai Qing
Fan Xiao
Lawrence Solomon
Mu Lan
Probe International
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Patricia Adams and Lawrence Solomon
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