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Extreme Weather: Three Gorges Dam Project Stalled
Chinas massive Three Gorges Dam project has come to an unexpected halt. There are concerns about drought and landslides in the region along the Yangtze River in central Hubei province. On September 15 workers began raising the level of water in the Three Gorges Reservoir towards its 574-foot capacity—a process due to culminate at the end of this month. The plan hit a snag on November 2, when water levels hit 564 feet and then abruptly stopped. Dam officials say the decreased water flow at the Yangtzes source coupled with drought does not provide enough water to completely fill the reservoir. Critics of the dam continue to highlight the dangers of the rising water levels, pointing to recent studies that say a sharp increase in landslides in the region is likely. The intense drought in the region also underlines criticism of a project that robs the local people of a scarce commodity—water—in order to generate electricity for the cities. Chinese officials played down concerns over both water and safety, but indicated it is unlikely that the target water level will be achieved by the end of the year.
Tags:
water power China drought environmental rising flood levels disaster river Hydro-electric Yangtze landslides
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Water Impacts Emperilled Ecosystems Hydrogen Powered technology for cars and homes
