2017

The Yangtze river

and the Three Gorges Dam

Student D
GESS I&S Class 9A
1/20/2017

River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 2
2. RIVER SYSTEM OVERVIEW .................................................................................................... 2
2.1 Geographical information of the Yangtze river and the Three Gorges Dam .................................... 2
2.2 Map of the Yangtze River system ......................................................................................... 2
2.3 Importance of the Yangtze River .......................................................................................... 2
2.4 Background of the Three Gorges Dam ................................................................................. 3
3. RIVER SYSTEM ISSUES ................................................................................................................. 3
3.1 Pollution ....................................................................................................................................... 3
3.2 Social Problems ............................................................................................................................ 5
4. MANAGEMENT STRATEGY ..................................................................................................... 5
4.1 Recommendations ................................................................................................................. 5
4.2 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 5

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

1. INTRODUCTION
This report has been produced by Viertels River Solutions to create awareness that, Rivers are
complex systems that require careful, sustainable management, to ensure continued and equitable access
for all. We will be analysing the Yangtze River in China, which will be presented in a complete river
system overview. Followed by a detail identification and description of the main issues the river is
currently facing and who is effected by these. To conclude, there will be a management strategy
suggested by us, to potentially help the Yangtze River for the future.

2. RIVER SYSTEM OVERVIEW

2.1 Geographical information of the Yangtze river and the Three Gorges Dam
Flowing through the entire of China, with a river basin of 1,800,000 km2 and an average discharge rate
of 31,900 cm3 per second, the Yangtze River is the third longest river in the world ranging at 6,380km
also making it the longest river in Asia. It is however, the longest river to flow through an entire country
(Travelchinaguide, a), covering around 20% of China (James). The drainage basin of the Yangtze
River or Chng Jing, Chinese translated into long river (Travelchinaguide, a), has traditionally been
regarded as a diving line between north and south of China (Peter). From the Tanggula mountain range,
in the province of Qinghai lies the Glacier of Jianggendiru, west of the Geladaindong Peak, the source
of the Yangtze river (James), elevating at 6,621m (Mountain-forecast.com). Flowing east to the
opposite end of China, where the river discharges into its mouth, the East China Sea (Travelchinaguide,
a).

2.2 Map of the Yangtze River system

Fig. 1: Yangtze
Water System Map

2.3 Importance of the Yangtze River

Culturally, environmentally and economically, are all variables which make the Yangtze River
critical to China.
The purpose of the river, over the past 2 centuries, has been for transportation and the production of
agriculture as it contains immensely rich nutrient soils. Along the Yangtze River basin, 40% of Chinas
freshwater, 70% of its fishing industries, 50% of their grain production and 70% of the countrys rice
production takes place. All of these add up to a total 40% of Chinas GDP, standing for Gross Domestic
Production.
The Yangtze river is also the habitat of over 350 species of fish, from which 112 species are native to
China. 261 fish species in habitat the upper Yangtze, in its main channel alone, where 44 of these species
can only be found in this particular region. The river also has a large crab diversity alongside 160 species
of amphibians (WWF Global, a).
Along the river, there are also a various amount of historical sites, which are culturally very important
to China. For example, the Ghost City of Fengdu, the hanging coffins of the Lesser Three Gorges and
also the Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the worlds deepest gorges, which has attracted an immense
amount of tourist (Gavin Van Hinsbergh).

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

2.4 Background of the Three Gorges Dam

The Three Gorges Dam, the largest and
hydroelectric dam in the world is located in
China, on the Yangtze River in the centre of
its three gorges. It wasnt until 1992 when the
Chinese government approved the project but

took 2 years until the constructions started in
1994, the 15th of December. The Three Fig. 2: Three
Gorges Dam is meant to achieve 3 main goals Gorges Dam
set by the Chinese Government:
1. Flood Control: Over the past centuries, the Yangtze River has been the source of many
destructive floods, killing more than thousands of people and leading to millions of dollars in
damages and repair of the affected territories. The Three Gorges Dam is set to have the capacity
to control 22.15 billion cubic meters of water, hoping to decrease the occurrence of floods in
China along the Yangtze River to once every one-hundred years.
2. Hydroelectric Power Generation: Coal is a hydro carbon, which releases greenhouse gases into
the Earths Atmosphere. Aiming to minimize Chinas demand on coal and its carbon emissions,
hydroelectric turbine generators have been placed inside the Dam. It has been estimated that
annually, the hydroelectric turbines will generate around 84.6 billion kilowatt hours of clean
energy.
3. Transport/ Cargo Shipping: Due to the Three Gorges Dam, large ships will be able to travel up
and downstream the Yangtze River through the ship locks, which are capable to hold twelve
large commercial ships at once. Ships coming in from Chongqing, a city in the southwest of
China, and other major Chinese cities will have the possibility to transport goods to Shanghai,
all from the aid of the dam. The trade in Central China has been estimated to increase up to five
times and the cost for transportation to decrease by 35- 37%. (Laura OHara).

3. RIVER SYSTEM ISSUES

3.1 Pollution
Pollution in the Yangtze River has tremendously increased, to the extent where levels have risen more
than 73% over the past 50 years alone. Every year, 45% of chinas annual industrial waste emissions
and 42% of chinas annual sewage emission, which equals to 25 billion tons of both industrial and
sewage emissions being dumped in the river every year.
Dai Qing, a Chinese environmental activist stated that The Yangtze used to be so clear that you could
see a pen sink to the bottom. Now it has become so dirty that it is not fit for drinking. and local Chinese
experts are comparing the pollution in the Yangtze River as cancerous (WWF Global, b).
A shocking 600 kilometres of the Yangtze river has
been severely polluted and the reservoir of the Three
Gorges Dam is filled with vile pesticides, fertilizers
and sewage from incoming passenger boats. Minjiang,
Tuojiang, Xiangjiang and Huangpu rivers are just a
few of the approximately 30% of Yangtze rivers
tributaries that have been critically polluted. Xinhua
news had been told by Yang Guishan, a researcher at
the Nanjiang Institute of Geography and Limnology
that The impact of the human activities on the
Yangtze water ecology is largely irreversible Fig. 3: Pollution next to the Three Gorges
(Reuters, Environment). Dam reservoir.

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

An exuberant amount of nitrogen can be the source of overstimulating growth of aquatic plants and
algae in water (Perlman, Howard), which is another issue affecting the Yangtze River. The CCICED
(China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development) came to a conclusion
that 92% of all the nitrogen being discharged into the river are entering the water from agricultural
farms and plantations (WWF Global, b). The growth of such organisms can not only take away dissolved
oxygen in the water whilst they decompose, which is necessary for marine species, but also block
sunlight from reaching into the deeper waters and prevent a proper water flow. The production of drab
froths of algae on the reservoir surface, will not only be the product of death in fish, but also has the
chance of destroying an entire body of water by depriving its oxygen. All of this takes place due to
eutrophication in the reservoir. People living alongside the reservoir, would use it to their benefit as
drinking water, which is now no longer possible due to the excess amount of nitrogen, in the form of
nitrates. This can be destructive to the health of young children and livestock. The bloodstream of the
organisms can become restricted to any oxygen transport, which particularly affects young infants
below the age of 4 months who have a lack in enzyme that is crucial to prevent this condition (Perlman,
Howard).
The two issues mentioned above have been aggravated and partly precipitated by the Three Gorges
Dam. Due to the dam running across the entire 2km of the Yangtze River, water is not able to go past
the barrier unless the dams are opened. Leading to a vast amount of water staying upstream compared
to the amount of water that is downstream. Most of the water upstream stays stagnant in the reservoir
as only small amounts are passed through the dams. This causes the reservoir to get polluted as sewage,
rubbish and sediment are being accumulated at its river bed, polluting the reservoir and all of the water
being released past the dams. Polluting the reservoir water even more are algaes growing in the
stationary water due to glut nitrogen and eutrophication. Due to the reservoir expanding onto land, it
has pulled even more waste materials into the river. Sewer Systems, dumpsites and waste water
treatment plants have all been immersed over time, leaving factory, mines and hospitals with unsafe
and likely radioactive waste at the bottom of the reservoir, harming the Yangtze River (WWF Global,
b).

Currently, a majority of
people and institutions
are not satisfied with
the present state of the
Three Gorges Dam
reservoir and the
Yangtze River. 35% of
the freshwater found in
China is in the Yangtze
River, which means that
to ensure that the water
is safe to drink,
procedures need to be
taken, leaving the
inhabitants close to the
Fig. 4: Changes of the Three Gorges Dam from 1987 to 2006, which river a hard time in
shows the Reservoir and Dam to the right finding fresh water,
that is safe to drink.
The amount of aquatic crops harvested annually decreasing considerably. The declination of pollution
over the years in the Yangtze River is shown in a combined study between the Chinese Academy of
Sciences and WWF. The annual harvest of marine produce in the 1990s consisted of 100, 000 tons
whereas in the 1950s it reached up to 427, 000 tons (Reuters, Environment).

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

3.2 Social Problems

After the construction of the Three Gorges
Dam, a 600 kilometre reservoir was formed, Fig. 5:
due to constant flooding of the surrounding Relocation
land. This affected a lot of people, which were program at
previously living alongside the Yangtze River.
the Three
As stated by the International Rivers the
reservoir of the Three Gorges Dam has Gorges Dam
flooded 13 cities, 140 towns and 1350
villages, which combines in more that 1.2
million people involuntarily moved from their
homes. Therefore, the Chinese Government promised to relocate them and give each a little plot of land
and monthly incomes, as low as $7 a month. Due to nobody being exactly sure on how many people
are actually required to be relocated over the past years, there is an insufficient amount of data on the
amount of money needed. From these 1.2 million people, an extensive 85% are uneducated, giving the
Chinese government the upper hand as it was easier to ruse the citizens needing a home. The lump
sum method was used to compensate the people who had previously lost their homes, whilst the
government was still making a profit. They receive 100% of the value of what they had lost, however,
the government manipulates this by different criterias. If a house is slightly demolished, the original
value will decrease, even if the government is easily able to fix it. Resulting in people not having the
possibilities to purchasing a plot of land or house that had an equal value to the one before. In addition,
the Chinese government werent able to provide the plot of land necessary to all of the farmers, and
were only able to arrange 125, 000 farming families with the plot of land needed. The ones who didnt
receive this were to be trained, so that they could work in the cities (Reuters, World News).

A 57-year-old Chinese woman, Shua Linxiang, was one of the many affected by the Three Gorges Dam
reservoir. She had stated, If the Government says you have to move, you move. We cant oppose them
(Reuters, World News). A petition had been signed in 2016, which was aiming to the get the government
to give out all of the compensations they had promised. Wu, one of the petitioners, said that, This
hasnt been resolved for any one of us yet (Mudie, Luisetta) and, We made complaints, and the police
told us to go home, and we were escorted back home. When we got home, still nothing was done, even
though the Three Gorges Construction Committee knows about our situation. (Mudie, Luisetta).

4. MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
4.1 Recommendations
The Three Gorges Dam has been the cause of a lot of problems that China has been facing. Investing
in a different source of energy for example, solar power, would be a better and easier choice. Even
just investing in research, which in the future would lead to improving the efficiency of Solar power
would help China. Another solution would also be to upgrade the Three Gorges Dam to a more
environmental design, like having a filter system that effectively removes all of the waste from the
reservoir and river. Our last proposal on how China would be able to improve the Three Gorges Dam
is rather than having one big dam, there should be smaller dams spread out over the entire country.
This would decrease the amount of problems needed to be dealt with in one single area. It would
create as big of a reservoir as the Three Gorges Dam has and definitely not accumulate the same
amount of pollution.

4.2 Conclusion
To conclude, China and the Yangtze River have been facing a lot of severe issues over the past years.
Not only was the river polluted with hazardous waste and excess nitrogen but the Three Gorges Dam
had involuntarily forced 1.2 million people away from their homes.

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

China is able to improve its water quality by trying to follow at least one of the proposals that we have
stated above. Either by investing in a different renewable energy source, creating a filter system
removing harmful waste or building smaller dams throughout China along the Yangtze River.

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

Research Action Plan

MYP Assessment Criteria B: INVESTIGATION

Limited attempt to / partially / satisfactorily / effectively follows an action plan to

investigate a research question
Uses methods to collect and record limited / some / appropriate / appropriate & varied
information in line with the research question
Limited attempt to / partially / satisfactorily / effectively addresses the research question
Limited / reflection / detailed evaluation of the research process and results.

To help you successfully implement a research action plan you need to follow the steps below:

The main How does the construction of the Three Gorges Dam and its reservoir affect the
research Yangtze River and surrounding organisms?
question

Sub Where is the Yangtze River and the Three Gorges Dam located?
questions
What is the source and mouth of the Yangtze River?
By How long is the Yangtze River?
answering How big is the drainage basin of the Yangtze River?
these sub- What is the average discharge rate of the Yangtze River?
questions,
you will Why is the Yangtze River important?
enable Why was the Three Gorges Dam built (background information)?
yourselve What are some of the issues/ conflicts affecting the river due to the
s to
answer Three Gorges Dam?
the main Who is affected by these issues/ conflicts?
research How can this issue be resolved?
question.
What management strategies can be implemented?
Check
your task
sheet and
brainstor
m
additiona
l
questions
. Include
them all
here.

Methods Where will you gather the information? (e.g. library)

to be used
in the I will gather information from Books published online, Geography and
investigati Environmental Websites, Educational websites for geography aimed at the Grade 9-
on 10 level. I will also be looking at Wikipedia but to get the correct source I will check

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

where they have gotten the information from (footnote) and site that website instead of
Wikipedia.
e.g.
describe How/where are you going to record any relevant information?
the
capture I will capture my information on One Note in my Personal Space. I will also write
sheet. my sub questions followed by any relevant information including quotes. The links
How will cited will be on the bottom of each paragraph followed by 3-4 links for each sub
it be laid question to support the information and to verify accurate information.
out? Will
you
include
your sub-
questions
? How
many
websites
will you
access per
sub-
question?
Why?

Identify Campbell-Hyde, Blake. "Breaking Ground: Environmental and Social Issues of the
the Three Gorges Dam in China." American.edu.
relevant http://www1.american.edu/ted/ICE/china-dam-impact.html. Nd. Web. 12 Feb. 2017.
sources/e Hvistendahl, Mara. "China's Three Gorges Dam: An Environmental Catastrophe?"
vidence Scientific American. www.scientificamerican.com/article/chinas-three-gorges-dam-
that you disaster/. 6 Jan. 2017. Web. 25 Mar. 2008.
will use
James. "Yangtze River: Facts and Information." Primary Facts.
Record www.primaryfacts.com/410/yangtze-river-facts-and-information/. 10 Jan. 2013. Web.
the 8 Dec. 2016.
works
cited. Lubin, Gus, and Isabelle Schafer. "17 Earthshaking Facts about the Three Gorges Dam
and China's Next Even Bigger Water Project." Business Insider.
www.businessinsider.com/three-gorges-dam-south-to-north-water-diverson-project-
china-2010-7?IR=T&r=US&IR=T. 7 July 2010. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.

Mountain-forecast.com. http://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Geladaindong-
Peak. Nd. Web. 15 Jan. 2017.

Mudie, Luisetta. "Two Decades after Forced Relocation, Yangtze Dam Evictees Lack
Compensation." Radio Free Asia. www.rfa.org/english/news/china/two-decades-after-
forced-relocation-yangtze-dam-evictees-lack-compensation-04062016113308.html. 6
Apr. 2016. Web. 11 Jan. 2017.

Na. "China's Yangtze River Extensively Polluted: Study." Reuters.

www.reuters.com/article/environment-china-environment-yangtze-dc-
idUST30958220070415. 15 Apr. 2007. Web. 11 Jan. 2017.

Na. "Thousands Being Moved from China's Three Gorges - Again." Reuters.
www.reuters.com/article/us-china-threegorges-idUSBRE87L0ZW20120822. 22 Aug.
2012. Web. 9 Jan. 2017.

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

Na. "Three Gorges Dam." International Rivers.

www.internationalrivers.org/campaigns/three-gorges-dam. Nd. Web. 3 Jan. 2017.

Travelchinaguide, a. "Yangtze River Facts." Travelchinaguide.

www.travelchinaguide.com/river/yangtze/. Nd. Web. 8 Dec. 2016.

Travelchinaguide, b. "Problems Caused by Three Gorges Project." Travelchinaguide.

www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/hubei/yichang/three-gorges-dam-problems.htm.
Nd. Web. 12 Jan. 2017.

Perlman, Howard. "Nitrogen and Water." The USGS Water Science School.
www.water.usgs.gov/edu/nitrogen.html. 17 Jan. 2017. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

Peter. "Top 10 Interesting Facts of Yangtze River." China Whisper.

www.chinawhisper.com/top-10-interesting-facts-of-yangtze-river/. 17 Apr. 2014.
Web. 8 Dec. 2016.

Van Hinsbergh, Gavin. "Yangtze River Facts." China Highlights.

www.chinahighlights.com/yangtzeriver/facts.htm. 3 Aug. 2016. Web. 8 Dec. 2016

Watson, Stephanie. "Why Could China's Three Gorges Dam Cause an Environmental
Disaster?" HowStuffWorks. science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-
science/three-gorges-dam-disaster.htm. Nd. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.

WWF Global, a. "Yangtze River." WWF.

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/freshwater_problems/river_de
cline/10_rivers_risk/yangtze/. Nd. Web. 14 Jan. 2017.

WWF Global, b. "Threat of Pollution in the Yangtze." WWF.

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/freshwater_problems/river_de
cline/10_rivers_risk/yangtze/yangtze_threats/index.cfm. Nd. Web. 16 Jan. 2017.

WWF Global, c. "Yangtze River: Solutions." WWF.

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/about_freshwater/freshwater_problems/river_de
cline/10_rivers_risk/yangtze/yangtze_solutions/. Nd. Web. 17 Jan. 2017.

Images:
Na. http://blog.yangtze-river-cruises.com/wp-
content/uploads/2012/09/three_gorges_dam__china1.jpg. Nd. Web

Na. https://www.travelchinaguide.com/images/map/yangtze-river/water-system.jpg.
Nd. Web. Fig. 1

Na. https://www.internationalrivers.org/sites/default/files/styles/600-
height/public/images/campaign/admin-old/dam_sethrosenblatt.jpg?itok=3ta7pZ-C.
Nd. Web. Fig. 2

Na. http://chinadigitaltimes.net/wp-
content/uploads/2010/08/42b39c5503fc6db8c2ec728ecd6a901b_640_480.jpg. Nd.
Web. Fig. 3

Na. http://www1.american.edu/ted/ICE/images5/bch_TGDat87and06.jpg. Nd. Web.
Fig. 4

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

Na. http://images.china.cn/images1/200709/407350.jpg. Nd. Web. Fig. 5

What Insert table that outlines: task, completion date and checklist
steps will
you Task Completion Checklist
follow to date
address/
answer Research: Where is the Yangtze River and 08/12/2016 Done.
the
the Three Gorges Dam located?
research
question?
Research: What is the source and mouth of 08/12/2016 Done.
Develop the Yangtze River?
an action
plan for Research: How long is the Yangtze River? 09/12/2016 Done.
the main
stages of Research: How big is the drainage basin of 11/01/2016 Done.
the the Yangtze River?
investigati
on. The Research: What is the average discharge 12/01/2016 Done.
action
plan rate of the Yangtze River?
should be
framed by Research: Why is the Yangtze River 12/01/2017 Done.
the sub- important?
questions
but Research: Why was the Three Gorges Dam 14/01/2017 Done.
should be built (background information)?
treated
like a Research: What are some of the issues/ 14/01/2017 Done.
check list
of conflicts affecting the river due to the
things- Three Gorges Dam?
to-do.
Research: Who is affected by these issues/ 16/01/2017 Done.
Include conflicts?
what
needs to Research: How can this issue be resolved? 17/01/2017 Done.
be done
and
Research: What management strategies can 17/01/2017 Done.
when
you aim be implemented?
to have it
completed Insert and cite pictures 18/01/2017 Done.
by
Finish writing up report 19/01/2017 Done.

Create Works Cited List 20/01/2017 Done.

Read the report through one last time 20/01/2017 Done.

making sure that all of the information is
correctly referenced in text with the

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River Systems Report Student D, I&S Class 9A

corresponding reference in the Research

Action Plan.

Hand in the final report on Turn it in. 20/01/2017 Done.

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