Intro
    Communism fell in China in 1976, and after years of struggle to repair the troublesome Chinese economy, the Chinese government has finally begun to establish a name for itself in the world market.  While the country is has not yet reached that point, the government has started construction on the Three Gorges Dam, which is the nation's great leap towards becoming an established economic and political power. Not only will this dam provide China with much needed income, China also hopes that, once completed, the dam will illustrate the fact that China is a force to be reckoned with. No dam of this size has ever been constructed, and the Chinese hope that this construction project will show the world that China is not a problematic third world country. Three Gorges is a step in the direction of a successful market economy, and will allow China to be a state to be taken seriously.

Dam Development
    Dam development has been an extremely important venture in China's, as well as many other poor countries' grasps at economic development. Not only do dams provide hydroelectricity to thousands, they also can control floods and water shortages, and improve river transport. In fact, China has relied on dams for thousands of years to provide these benefits. The oldest dam in China is still in sound condition, and has been working for over 2000 years. China has over 200 dams, but none are as large as the Three Gorges, and none has created such extreme controversy.

The Cost
    Economically, Three Gorges is a huge investment for China. While the plans for the dam have been in the works since the 1940's, construction was halted until the early 1990's. The reason was not ecological nor technological, but economical. It is estimated that the final monetary cost of this dam will be close to US$25 billion (200-240 billion Chinese yuan). One controversial issue of this dam as opposed to others is the fact that the investors that invest in nearly all dams worldwide are not investing in Three Gorges. There are many possible reasons for this dam investment change, but it has been offered that a likely reason for these normal investors (such as the World Bank, and the US Export-Import Bank) refusing to fund this project are the ecological implications, or sociological impact. It is more likely that these investors refuse to risk their money on something that has a high chance of potential failure. True, all ventures have a risk of failure, but it's possible that these investors felt that the risk of failure for Three Gorges was far greater than the risks of other investment opportunities. Nonetheless, China has found money for the project, and Three Gorges Dam continues without a monetary hitch.

Resettlement Funds
    The money is certainly there for the construction of the dam, which the government would not sacrifice for anything, but money is lacking in other aspects of the project. Resettlement of the people of the Three Gorges region has become an immense task that few are willing to take on for the long run. Several billion yuan have been dedicated to this portion of the project, to cover moving expenses as well as compensation for lost land and construction for new homes. The budget for this portion of the project is already estimated by economists and sociologists to be much lower than the rate of fair compensation. Overlooking the already low budget, there has been mass corruption of government officials at the town, county and even extending to state levels. Officials in lower levels of the government have shown to be the largest problem with corruption. Many officials take on positions in the resettlement program, have smuggled money then have resigned from office. These officials manage to take thousands of yuan, yet it is hard to provide evidence, and even harder to find the officials themselves. This corruption has left the resettlement project without sufficient funds to relocate all of the inhabitants of the Three Gorges area, and no more money is being supplied. The result is thousands of families without the allotted budget to move from the Three Gorges area.

Potential for Disaster
   Even after the dam is completed, there will still be political problems to face. The most crucial of these problems is the risk for mass destruction of the cities and towns downriver from Three Gorges. While the risk of earthquakes and other natural disasters are certainly worrisome, so is the risk from other countries. If China ever enters a war, the Three Gorges dam would be a prime target for their enemy. If the dam is destroyed, thousands of people down river from the dam are in immense danger, as well as the headquarters of Chinese military forces. The destruction of this dam from an enemy standpoint would be the only component necessary to win the war with China.
 

    We have seen that there are many political problems and potential problems linked with the Three Gorges dam, but there are many more problems outside of that of the government, which the Chinese people will have to face.