Environmental impact assessments of the Three Gorges Project in China: issues and interventions
Files
(Accepted version)
Date
2013
Authors
Xu, X.
Tan, Y.
Yang, G.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Earth-Science Reviews, 2013; 124:115-125
Statement of Responsibility
Xibao Xu, Yan Tan, Guishan Yang
Conference Name
Abstract
The paper takes China's authoritative Environmental Impact Statement for the Yangzi (Yangtze) Three Gorges Project (TGP) in 1992 as a benchmark against which to evaluate emerging major environmental outcomes since the initial impoundment of the Three Gorges reservoir in 2003. The paper particularly examines five crucial environmental aspects and associated causal factors. The five domains include human resettlement and the carrying capacity of local environments (especially land), water quality, reservoir sedimentation and downstream riverbed erosion, soil erosion, and seismic activity and geological hazards. Lessons from the environmental impact assessments of the TGP are: (1) hydro project planning needs to take place at a broader scale, and a strategic environmental assessment at a broader scale is necessary in advance of individual environmental impact assessments; (2) national policy and planning adjustments need to react quickly to the impact changes of large projects; (3) long-term environmental monitoring systems and joint operations with other large projects in the upstream areas of a river basin should be established, and the cross-impacts of climate change on projects and possible impacts of projects on regional or local climate considered. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Access Status
Rights
Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.