Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

Faculty of Biology
Department of Zoology
Course: Water quality of running waters
Teacher: Maria Lazaridou
Presentation of: Aurélie Vallée, Isabell Wolowski

Dams

Their negative Effects on the Environment

Construction area of dam (http://www.wcsience.com/giant/dam.html)

0 Content

1 The “Three Georges Dam” in China

1.1 the project
1.2 geological problems
2 negative influences of the dam
2.1 ecological problems
2.2 social and cultural problems
2.3 financial problems
3 summary of facts
4 References
Pic.2 :Yangtze
Pic.3: Map of China
River in
andchina
Location
(encarta
of dam
2002)(http//:www.cnn.com/Earth)
1.1 The Project

- 1997 start of the project, will be finished by 2009

- across the 3 Georges section of the Yangtze River

- 600 feet high, 1.3 miles long

- backflow will create 360 miles long lake

- expected costs: $29 billion

Pic.4: Reservoir Capacities (http://www.wcsience.com/giant/dam.html)

1.2 geological Problems

- build on contact zone of eurasian and

indian continental plate

- earthquake zone, intensity at least 7 (Richter-scale)

every 200 years

- high pressure on the dam due to sediments upstream

- sudden movement of Water  worldwide catastrophe

(angle of rotation axe changes)
2 negative influences of the dam

- ecological problems

- social and cultural problems

- financial problems

Pic.5: Demolition of buildings

(http://www.wcsience.com/giant/dam.html)
 2.1 ecological problems
- 115 towns
- Spreading of water upstream (up to 630 km)
- 4500 villages
- 3000 plant species, 350 animal species are endangered
- 4000 hospitals and clinics
- Danger of sedimentation
- 40.000 tombs
-- 100
Possibility
bridgesof climate change

-- more
2.87 million tonsfactories!!!
than 1700 of garbage will be submerged due to
flooding of…
Pic.6/7: The city of Wushan (http://www.wcsience.com/giant/dam.html)
2.2 social and cultural problems

- flooding of tourist attractions

- flooding of most fertile soil areas of china
- flooding of populated areas
- 1,8 mio people have to be relocated
- unemployment, psychological problems
- need of new infrastructure and villages
- regional conflicts (east vs.west)
2.3 financialNew powerstations
problems
$$$
(atomic & carbon)
- Can china afford this project?
- Planned costs of $29 billion – now $79 billion
- rising prices for electricity

Costs of: vs.

- dam itsself
- relocation of almost 2 mio people
- new living space
- Demontation of factories….
Dam project
3 Summary of facts

- Improvement of the environmental politic???

- destroyed landscape
- rising unemployement
- social conflicts
- financial problems
- 30 small dams = same effect, less problems
4 References

- http://www.wcsience.com/giant/dam.html
- http://www.cnn.com/Earth
- www.Staudamm-China.de
- http://www.three-georges-dam.com
- http://www.eca-watch.org/problems/china/racechina.html
- Microsoft Encarta Enzyklopädie 2002