The dam is a horrible idea... In my opinion the cons outway the pros by a lanslide... the Chinese government has about 2 reasons for the building of the dam but there are many more problems that will arise such as the loss of farms/jobs, loved ones, homes, endangered species, and the ancient temples

Mariah, Plano Texas,

I think that buliding the dam is a very stupid idea...yes it ahs it's reasons and those reasons are good reasons. But the Flaws are way too many and it's much of a loss in everyway. I think you should stop building it and slowly let the water out. And build smallers dams throughout The three Gorges.

Cali, Castiac, United states

We always have to destroy something existing in order to create a new civilisation. Espesially one of the magnitude of China.

It is quite funny that we look at this as an environmental disaster when it is the generation of clean power. What would we be saying if these were nuclear power plants?

Mike King, Ashfield, Australia

I saw this damm a few years ago, Massive is an understatement. Holland I think has it right. "Don't fight the tide" Mother nature always rules, China knows that only to well, especailly recently. Leting it flood in some areas some parts of the year is not a big deal in china,,

Ed, Las Vegas, USA

is the dam a crisis in making?

mega250, Spokane, us

Economically, the project will transform the area. Not only will the area be home to the largest hydro-electric power project in the world, but it will power a rapidly growing industrial base. It is often cited that shortage of electricity in China has affected the country’s ability to expand industrial production. Like other schemes such as the Mahaweli Dam project in Sri Lanka, this project will transform that. The new navigable waterways along the Yangtze will provide mass transit of raw materials to the area allowing exponential economic growth. This combined with the significantly reduced transportation costs provides an attractive location for industry seeking a cheap labour force. A new railway, linking the area with the rest of the north-east will be built alongside a new highway linking with Shanghai. Finally a new airport will open the region to so many economic markets. Agriculturally, government sources state that there will be an increase in the size of agricultural land f

ross alexander, york, u.k

First problem what about the ancient temples and villages on the side of the valley? They will flood those priceless sites forever and will be lost to the achaeological record. Also the farm lands down river rely on flooding to replace the nitrogen in the ground, without the flooding the Chinese will have to adopt new farming styles (which I'm sure they won't) or else they'll pull all of the nitrogen out of the ground ruining they're life soil. Those farmers, who are being displaced, where are they gonna go, industrial laborers.

Brenden, Seattle, United States/Washinton

Some may say that pollution is avoided, but this is not even the case - the trees in the land that has been flooded will produce methane when they rot without the presence of oxygen. This methane will be re-introduced to the atmosphere when the water passes through the turbines. This dam will be a far deadlier contributing to the greenhouse effect than most coal power stations.

Mark allen, London, London

While I agree that the pollution NOT produced will be great but because of the sedement that is NOT let down to the bottom of the river, there might be another huge relocation in the near future.

SHANGHAI!!!

Shanghai is resting on a bed of sediment and without the new deposit from the river, the soil erosion might force another few million people without a home!

Larry, Toronto, CANADA

It's like the election of George Bush It's A disaster waiting to happen. Thats what happens when you don't think before you act . Then many people pay. They pay with their lives.

Jim, Lake Ronkonkoma, NEW YORK

Instead of one big dam, they should have had lots of little ones: each with a smallholder to look after it, take fish from it, use it for irrigation, and sell off surplus electricity. But big boys want big toys...

Anthony, Northwich,

i believe this was a huge mistake like the report said it killed 13 farmers and 11fisherman like i said huge mistake it has alsoit has affected the lives of the families friends children it has ruined many lives!!!

sophie crocker, weymouth, england

i think if they gave out medals for pure stupidity then chinas citizens will have many .it has affected the lives of the 24 people that died and there relatives this is rediculous if anything its made them worse!!!!

sophie crocker, weymouth, england

I dare say, the reservoir behind the dam will probably be completely filled with silt in 100 years or less. The Yangtze, like other east Asian rivers is a "dirty" river...with trillions of tons of sediment carried seaward every year. But with the dam in place, it's no longer carried to the sea. it will end up as a huge mud puddle. And then there's the Yangtze river dolphin...now extinct.

Dave, Edmonton, Canada

NEW ZEALAND MAORI ELDER WARNS OF COMING EARTH CHANGES

http://www.wovoca.com/prophecy-maori-earth-changes.htm

She said that there would be an event that was unrelated; but when this event happened, it would be a trigger for many major earth changes.... Again, this was to be in China. Not knowing much about China I didn't know what she was explaining to me until I again contacted Stan with her latest predictions.

She told me that in China there was a project that involved creating a dam, that they'd been working on for years, and it was not yet complete. She said work had stopped on it for various reasons; then she told me that up above this "channel" there were 1000's of logs or timber that were perched at the top of this "channel". Furthermore, over time, some had been stolen; but most were still there. She said that soon these logs would come crashing down killing 1000's; and, when this happened, it would be a sign for her people that these Earth changes were about to happen with

Paul Daly, Launceston, Cornwall

Eighteen gigawatts of electricity is very important and should not be minimized.

Thomas Goodey, Cuxton-upon-Medway, UK

@Tim Footman: Douglas would be very, very angry. In his prophetic "Last Chance To See", he called attention to the plight of the last few remaining Chinese river dolphins. Alas, this highly advanced mammal appears now to have become extinct.

Zed, Oxford, UK

As the Chinese are finding out, water is very sneaky, when it hits an obstacle it just goes over, under, or around it. this starts as a pinprick usually, and gathers rapid momentum until it reahces a point of no return, then pressure is released!, and you have a catastrophe the like of which we have not seen before.

If they hand out gold medals for stupidity in 2008, it will be, as usual, a close run race between the USA and China, but China might just have it.

So glad to see that we Brits, not to be outdone in this feat of intellect, are planning the same for the Servern Valley, that will another proud moment indeed! Like the Dome and Diana Memorial it will put Britain on the map "New Sevens Wonders of What the Hell is That"?

"Great bunch of lads, ...the Chinese!", as Father Ted once observed.

Steve, Kent, UK

We, the rest of the world should be glad that the environmental polution is a Chinese problem and not a planet one, 18,000MW from fossil fuel is a lot of CO2. The most telling aspect of this is the political climate change with the admission of fault and action to limit the damage. China is slowly moving toward the centre ground of world politics let the West encourage but not interfere.

mike gee, bournemouth, uk

no doubt 'lessons will have been learnt' from this disaster...

cww, Suffolk,

Not even mentioned is that this damned dam is located in an extremely seismically active area. The "Three Gorges" define three active fault lines. One can only imagine the effects of the water weight of the (immense) reservoir on the underlying substrate. I don't know if anyone has calculated just how high would be the dry land tsunami that would flow down the valley of the River Yangtze were the Three Gorges dam to suffer a catastrophic failure due to earthquake, but let's just say that China could put the "one child" policy on hold for quite some time without fear of overpopulation.

Laurence Tenney, San Francisco,

Three Gorges Dam will become the symbol of what is wrong with humanity not in China but the whole world.

Kevin Smith, London, England

It is really a pity. And the beautiful landscape has gone forever due to the Three Gorges. Ironically, my hometown( Ningbo, Zhejiang Province) is still short of electricity in summer,while the power produced by the Three Gorges Dam should be transmitted to east China( Zhejiang province is definitely part of east China).
Anyway,that's the Chinese way of dealing with a big project. always hali to this,and the after a few years. the critics finally gain some voice to the public.

Helen, Hang Zhou, China

Don't mess with Mother Nature.

Bill, Ocean City, Md. USA

The article doesn't give much information about the actual ecological dangers posed by the dam. It is brand new, so naturally there will be some shifting in hillsides, etc. Has anyone determined whether that will stop at some point? Overdevelopment doesn't seem to be a problem with the dam, but with other decisions that were made. The algal bloom -- what is proposed to be done about that and how does a dam cause it in the first place. The fact that Chinese authorities are actually admitting a mistake -- something we see almost never here in the U.S. since Bush was "elected" -- is in itself interesting; but a little science to go with the politics would make much more informative reading.

Jim Houghton, Encino, CA, USA

Good.

Mildred Flimington, Cardiff,

Chinese government officers do all things just concerning about their own benefits. If they can make profit from this project , they approve, if not ,they will find all kinds of reasons to prevent the project from execution. So does the Three Gorges Dam Project.

Bill, sichuan, China

i am a Chinese too. i have to confess that the project is a flawed project without taking into consideration of eco effects.

dave, Quanzhou, China

If you don't respect science, Natural will punish you.

Bill, sichuan, China

Is there anything china can do right under a repressive communist government. they can't seem to paint toys safely let alone build a dam of that magnitude. I guess they will have to keep themselves happy by continuing to rattle their sabres at the free chinese across the straits.

John, Lantana, FL

The reason's stated are valid however they do not support the actual solution of "one dam".

More acceptable alternatives could have included several smaller dams on each of the gorges.

The reason for one dam were ultimately driven by national pride more that well reasoned assessments of need versus ecological impact.

What is missing from the report about the need for re-settlement is that the authorities have already relocated or addressed multiple population centers including at least one city of over 1 Million people.

People will always need to live close to sustainable water supplies, and unfortunately the three rivers provides that source, but not a very safe one (due to both pollution and floods).

Peter, Phoenix, AZ

Go with the Flow.
In effect, by building the dam, the Government is subsidizing the cost of electricity. So sell the farm, and use subsidized electricity. (Go with the Flow of money). But use your brain and - - if possible, do NOT set up your shop, directly down-stream - or you might go with the flow.

Charlie, KC, USA Mo.

What is the alternative means of energy production being proposed if the "greenies" shut down the dam? I don't hear ANYTHING. Wind is too inconsistent, solar is just now *barely* viable from a cost/output ratio and the average American can't afford it, much less the average Chinese.

Hydroelectric is the largest Faustian bargain for electrical power short of Nuclear, yet I'm in favor of both.

The short term alternative is for everyone (including our political elite) to live by candle-light and use wood to cook with and heat their 500sf homes.

Note to all "greenies" and governments: We capitalists and "the general public" are working on making earth ships and green housing affordable for those that want it. Just give *us* the time to make it genuinely affordable. We don't want government subsidies because that means the government has control and not the people!

Craig Gorsuch, Dallas, TX, USA

The Dam was a big mistake. There were better ways to produce electricity and prevent the annual flooding. That is to build many smaller size dams at the upper branches of the Long River, instead of a huge giant dam at the Three Gorges. If the dam collapes, tens of millions will die, and half of China will be under water! It's best to undo the mistake.

Richard, Atlanta, USA

"I told you so" = "Ru2 wo3 suo3 yan2" (in pinyin)

So they've admitted it was a mistake, but will they learn from it?

Sean, Wooster, Ohio, USA

I dont see what the big fuss is about. Here is the harsh naked facts.

The Dam is built for 2 reasons:
1: To produce much needed energy without need of fossil fuels.

2: Stop annual floods along the river that devastates on a regular basis.

Any ill effects will have to be accepted and weighed against the gains from the dam. Look at it this way, we in the west are knowingly causing carbon build ups with our cars. Does that mean that I will stop driving my car for the sake of the enviroment? Heck no, I need it too much.
This comment will probably disgust you all as being selfish, but look around us. Is everyone driving down the M1 today of the same blame as myself?

Sorry for being blatant and blunt but we have all got to accept our part of blame.

kientang, London,

Compare the Johnstown flood in Pennsylvania of 1889 caused by a defective dam being breached.
2,200 people died and noone held responsible.

Chris, Essex, UK

How can a poem immortalise a geological feature of that scale. Surely the three gorges will still be there (even if the dam isnt) well after the poem has been forgotten?

A D Clarke, London,

Just like a coin ,which has two faces, the Three Gorges Dam ,of course, on one hand is an unprecedent project, after the Great Wall, both great achevements in chinese history. the Dam really can provide huge electricity at a time when china because of its rising economy,and the flood torturing downstresm of Yangtze River could be improved as well. the Three Gorges Dam will bring great profits to the south china. on the other hand ,the ecological situation may be affected ,but concrete evidence has not emerged. This year, natural catastrophe unusually offen attck not only china but other countries do. so the environment problems cannot easely attibute to the great dam.

george fan, nanjing, china

Excess of hubris is not restricted to the Chinese Communist Party though they probably excel in it. Likewise the Russians with the Aswan dam on the Nile. Mankind is slowly learning that we cannot just do what we want with the environment and not suffer any consequences. The question is will we survive the learning process or be destroyed by our mistakes.
The god of profit must be tumbled from his pedestal. It is always the ordinary people who pay not the politicians and businessmen

billcarr, turku, finland

It was a stunning achievement. Flawed, but stunning nonetheless.

Joe , Sand Springs, Oklahoma,USA

I'm a Chinese man living in Sichuan near The "Three Gorges Dam " .I can feel the change of the weather .It's so bad that so many old peaple can't stand for it.

jay, chengdu, CHINA

Add to all this the "global warming" effect from the emissions of methane from power turbines caused by vegetative decay in the waters held by hydro-electric dams, and you have yet more woes from this project.

The rush for the exit doors by the current crop of Chinese politicians and high ranking officials is all very well, but the effects of this project are only just starting the be fully understood.

Steve Carr, Swannanoa, New Zealand

China need have looked no further than the Lower Colorado River and the degradation that has occurred in the lowerereaches as a bench mark for the marvels of technology gone awry.

Ken, Spicewood, TX, USA

It's an amazing feat, alas not without serious side effects. I hope that the Chinese people can find a way to protect their environment whilst still benefitting from the dam.

Mao was responsible for more than 30 million deaths in China either through failed policies or purges during his period in power. Even though Mao is deified even today, it shows how far the government has come in acknowledging failures and showing concern for human life.

Catherine, Atlanta, GA, USA

The late, great Douglas Adams used to say that mankind's obsessive need to build dams, whatever the environmental cost, was the result of an as-yet-unidentified beaver gene in our DNA. I don't know whether he'd be laughing now, or just very, very angry.

Tim Footman, Bangkok, Thailand

Great Chinese will overcome all the difficulties

David, yangzhou, China

the chinese must have been using engineers from Texas A&M

larry gooch, baton rouge, USA La.

Hay, Chinese, Asians in general, all Number 1 Smart, Right, Wrong, too much hubris I'd say, but then again, I'm only a "Dumb Ole White Guy", from the States, what do I know! The trouble with this boondoggle is how fix it, blow up the dam, I don't think so, slow water release, with gradual opening of dam, at that point you can kiss Appox. $30Billion goodby, plus much loss of face.

"Have a nice Olympics", but watch out for rushing water!

jim johnson, framingham, USA

Landslides from unstable geology into the lake that forms behind a dam are potentially devastating as any Italian over the age of 60 will tell you.

On October 9, 1963 at Vajont in Friuli in NE Italy, heavy rains triggered an enormous landslide of about 260 million cubic metres of forest, earth, and rock, which fell into the reservoir behind the new dam, still be tested, at up to 110 km per hour . The resulting displacement of water caused 50 million tonnes of water to overtop the dam in a 250-metre high wave. Despite this, the dam's structure was largely undamaged and the basic structure remained intact. However, the massive tidal wave caused by the landslide destroyed the town of Longarone, and several villages in the neighbouring region of Veneto several kilometres away, killing almost 2,000 people. Bodies, furniture and cars were swept tens of kilometres away.

It must be an event like this that the Chinese fear may occur when they speak of potential "catastrophe".

Paolo Bagarino, Roma, Italia

A few milion casualties in china is not (as they say in accounting) 'material' as they have well over a Billion of 'em. The production of 18000 megawatts is approximately equivalent to the production of about one million barrels of oil per day, which is very material indeed.

bill mills, Honolulu, Hawaii USA

How do we say "We told you so" in Chinese?

Janet, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA