List of Pros and Cons of Three Gorges Dam

In order to make an informed decision on how you feel about the three gorges dam it is best that you know what it is, and the pros and cons for this topic. The three gorges dam is a hydroelectric plant that runs off the energy of water. China needed an additional source of energy and created the three gorges dam to deal with this problem. While many people were in favor of the three gorges dam, there were many that were not. Before you come to a conclusion, you should know what some of the pros and cons are to this topic to make an informed decision.

What Are The Pros of Three Gorges Dam?

1. Protects Against Frequent Flooding
Floods happened frequently in this area of China and without dams in place, flooding was disastrous. The three gorges dam help to eliminate the amount of floods that happened and the amount of flood waters.

2. Provides Renewable Energy
The largest benefit that came from the three gorges dam was the exponential growth of renewable energy that was going into china. With the water being a recurring source, the hydroelectric dam brought electricity and power to the nation.

3. Can Power the Entire Nation
If China were to ever experience a natural disaster or wartime and power was lost to the nation, the three gorges dam hydroelectric plant could potentially power the entire nation.

What Are The Cons of Three Gorges Dam?

1. Increased Pollution
While there may be a lot of good uses, one of the main problems from the use of the dam is an increase in pollution and waste in the water from the maintenance of the dam and from ships passing through the locks and keys.

2. Forced Relocation
Relocation has become one of the largest problems because of the dam. More than 35 million people had to be relocated so that the dam could be built and the expansion of the dam continues to force people to move every year.

3. Dreary Landscape
While it serves a good purpose, the landscape of the area had to change to accommodate such a large project. This included damaging and removing trees and uprooting animals that were once native to many places.

4. Forced Migration of Animals and Destruction of Habitat
It is believed that with the migration of people, the loss of habitat for animals and the pollution that is happening that the dam project might just impede some of the successes that China has had.

While each person may see this topic differently, it is good to recognize what good it has done for the country as a whole and it is good to realize the impacts that this project could have down the road on people and the environment. Just because something is a good thing for a while does not mean that it always will be. Further development and further planning is needed to ensure that the most benefit is reaped from this project and that people aren’t lost in the process.