Editorial | Effective flood mitigation is more than one dam, as Yangtze River deluge shows
- The extensive flooding along the Yangtze River has been the first major test of the huge Three Gorges Dam. But as the floods have shown, it alone cannot be the solution. The building of smaller dams or canals strategically placed upstream would be just as important, if not more so
Extensive flooding along the Yangtze River in central China has revived memories of 1998, when floods left 4,000 dead and inflicted severe economic damage.
What sets the current flood apart is that it is the first major test of the design of the huge Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, a showcase hydroelectric and flood-control project begun in 1994 and completed in 2006. In that respect it is also a test of China’s technological credentials as a provider of infrastructure aid.
Fuelled by torrential rains, the floods have killed more than 150 people. The authorities have evacuated millions from threatened areas. The People’s Liberation Army has assigned thousands of soldiers to flood mitigation works in the Yangtze River basin.
The government is monitoring the situation closely. According to the authorities there is no reason to fear a threat to the structure of the dam itself. Indeed, it was designed to help cope with floods.
02:17
Third flood of monsoon season for Yangtze River piles pressure on China’s Three Gorges Dam
Nevertheless, some reports, including in Western media, have raised questions over the dam’s safety. Some are based on a misinterpretation of a satellite photo purportedly showing the dam is “bending”.