مقاله سال ۲۰۱۶

The Three Gorges Dam is the largest operating hydroelectric facility in the world, generating 83.7 TWh in 2013 and 98.8 TWh in 2014.1 The impoundment project of the Three Gorges Dam was separated into four phases. Beginning in November of 1997, the water level of the Yangtze River was increased to 10–۷۵ m. In June 2003, the second phase of the project, the water level was increased to 135 m. In 2006, the water level was increased to 156 m. After completion of the Three Gorges project in 2009, the water level was increased to 175 m.

Although the extractive use of water in the Three Gorges Dam contributes to the economic growth of China by generating electricity, it causes a severe shortage of water in areas of the lower Yangtze River such as Poyang Lake. Located in Jiangxi Province, Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China. It connects to the lower Yangtze River through a channel. Fig. 1 shows the average, the highest and lowest monthly water levels of Poyang Lake for the last 30 years (1983– ۲۰۱۲).۲ We can see that all three indicators decreased dramatically following completion of the four impoundment phases of the Three Gorges Dam project.

The shortage of water has a negative influence on local agriculture and manufacturing industries and impedes economic growth. To deal with this problem, the local government of Jiangxi Province proposed the construction of a new water conservancy project on Poyang Lake to impound water during drought periods and restore the regeneration capacities of Poyang Lake. The plan attracted international attention, with much of the controversy focusing on the effects of the project on the ecological system of the Poyang Lake Wetland and animal protection. However, few opinions about the relationship between the long-run economic growth and the construction and maintenance costs of impoundment projects were offered.