Three Gorges not cause of drought
Source: Xinhua/Shanghai Daily |
May 26, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Chinese specialists said yesterday there is no evidence to support claims that the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest water hydroelectric project, is to blame for the severe drought currently plaguing central China.
"We have found no evidence that the drought was caused by the dam," said Liu Min, a meteorologist with the Hubei Provincial Weather Bureau.
Based on data collected before and after the dam was built, Liu claimed the project has had "very little" impact on regional temperature, humidity, wind velocity and other climate conditions.
"We believe the ongoing drought is more a periodical phenomenon than a result of improper water conservation," Liu said.
He said the "La Nina" weather phenomenon, which occurred last year, disrupted normal atmospheric circulation and prevented warm, humid air currents from reaching the Yangtze River's middle and lower regions. "This has caused a lack of rain in these regions since November," Liu said.
As a result, the worst drought to hit the region in 50 years has affected 9.89 million people in Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces.
Some Internet users believe the dam is to blame for the devastating dry spell.
"The dam has blocked water from flowing downstream, that certainly can cause climate changes," said a Beijinger using the online identity "Bull village head."
Extreme weather conditions in recent years, including last year's prolonged drought in southwest China and torrential rainfall in the central provinces, have resulted in the public pointing accusing fingers at the dam.
Zheng Shouren, an academic with the Chinese Academy of Engineering and one of the dam's chief designers, dismissed these accusations as groundless and unfair.
"Had the dam not been built, the drought would be even worse in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze," Zheng said.
The dam, he said, was designed to store water towards the end of the Yangtze's flood season and supply water to the middle and lower reaches in the dry season. This year its reservoir has supplied 1.7 million cubic meters of water to the downstream provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui, Zhang said.
The drought has led authorities to discharge even more water from the dam. Discharges were increased to 10,000 cubic meters per second from May 20, increasing the water flow by 3,000 cubic meters per second.
This will increase again, to up to 12,000 cubic meters per second until the flood season begins on June 10, according to the China Three Gorges Corporation.
However, experts said this would have a limited impact.
While releasing water would have a positive effect on the ecological environment of drying rivers and lakes, the action was insufficient to relieve overall drought conditions, said Wang Guangqian, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
"We have found no evidence that the drought was caused by the dam," said Liu Min, a meteorologist with the Hubei Provincial Weather Bureau.
Based on data collected before and after the dam was built, Liu claimed the project has had "very little" impact on regional temperature, humidity, wind velocity and other climate conditions.
"We believe the ongoing drought is more a periodical phenomenon than a result of improper water conservation," Liu said.
He said the "La Nina" weather phenomenon, which occurred last year, disrupted normal atmospheric circulation and prevented warm, humid air currents from reaching the Yangtze River's middle and lower regions. "This has caused a lack of rain in these regions since November," Liu said.
As a result, the worst drought to hit the region in 50 years has affected 9.89 million people in Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi and Anhui provinces.
Some Internet users believe the dam is to blame for the devastating dry spell.
"The dam has blocked water from flowing downstream, that certainly can cause climate changes," said a Beijinger using the online identity "Bull village head."
Extreme weather conditions in recent years, including last year's prolonged drought in southwest China and torrential rainfall in the central provinces, have resulted in the public pointing accusing fingers at the dam.
Zheng Shouren, an academic with the Chinese Academy of Engineering and one of the dam's chief designers, dismissed these accusations as groundless and unfair.
"Had the dam not been built, the drought would be even worse in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze," Zheng said.
The dam, he said, was designed to store water towards the end of the Yangtze's flood season and supply water to the middle and lower reaches in the dry season. This year its reservoir has supplied 1.7 million cubic meters of water to the downstream provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui, Zhang said.
The drought has led authorities to discharge even more water from the dam. Discharges were increased to 10,000 cubic meters per second from May 20, increasing the water flow by 3,000 cubic meters per second.
This will increase again, to up to 12,000 cubic meters per second until the flood season begins on June 10, according to the China Three Gorges Corporation.
However, experts said this would have a limited impact.
While releasing water would have a positive effect on the ecological environment of drying rivers and lakes, the action was insufficient to relieve overall drought conditions, said Wang Guangqian, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.
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