Three Gorges Project and the environment

The Three Gorges Project (TGP) on the Yangtze River is the largest water resources project in the world; it is now attracting the worldwide attention. Possessing comprehensive utilization benefits mainly for flood control, power generation and navigation improvement, TGP will be a vital important and backbone project in harnessing and developing of the Yangtze River. The environment impact of TGP will be widespread and profound. The major environmental benefits will be produced on the middle and lower basins of the Yangtze Rive, such as effectively control the flood and providing huge quantity of clean electrical energy. Whereas the main negative impact will be exerted at the upper reaches. such as the large amount of farmland inundated and large number of population relocated. Environmental protection is the basic policy of China. China has always tried to protect the environment in national social and economic development. As is well known any major water resources project will have both positive and negative impact, TGP is no exception. We should give full play to its benefits and take effective mitigation measures to its negative impact. TGP will make greatest contribution to energy and economic sustainable development of China as well as environmental protection to the Yangtze River.