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In 1919, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen proposed improving shipping conditions and developing hydroelectric power generation in the "Three Gorges" section of the Yangtze River. During the 1930s, research on the project done by the Kuomintang government concluded that such improvements were indeed feasible (Yao 1992: 17). A plan for building a dam in the Three Gorges area was approved in 1958. However, the tremendous cost of building the dam prevented it from actually being constructed at that time (Fearnside 1988: 616). In 1986, an extensive re-examination of the project began. It was concluded that the project was not only technologically feasible and economically reasonable, but that it would be better to build it than not to do so. Commencing construction as soon as possible was also recommended (Yao 1992: 17). On April 3,1992 the plan for the Three Gorges dam was approved by the National People's Congress, by a vote of 1,767 to 177, with 664 abstentions (Li 1992: 24). In December, 1994 construction of the dam officially began (Topping 1995: 132). The Yangtze is the third largest river in the world. The Three Gorges (Xiling, Wu, and Qutang) are located in Western Hubei province in central China. The area is characterized by rapids, currents and a steep drop, forming a storehouse of water resources (Yao 1992: 17). The Three Gorges dam is to be the largest in the world. At 185 m high and 1983 m across, the dam will create a reservoir of 54,000 km . The major objectives for building the dam are flood control, navigation, water supply, and hydroelectric power generation (Edmonds 1991: 112). Once constructed, die dam is expected to generate 13,000 megawatts (mw) of electricity with a power generating efficiency of 10mw/km of reservoir area. These figures are higher than those of other major hydroelectric projects across the globe (Fearnside 1988: 617). Not only is the Three Gorges dam to be the largest in the world, it is perhaps the most controversial. WhUe Chinese leaders strongly support the dam, technical experts and intellectuals have expressed serious doubts about the projects feasibility, as well as serious concerns for the dam's impact on the environment (Edmonds 1991:112). The concerns of environmentalists include natural habitats, fauna, erosion, reservoir siltation, estuary salinization, earthquake hazard, and microclimate. Opponents to the dam have also expressed social concerns. Upon creation of the reservoir, countless cultural landmarks and archaeological sites will be lost. Population transfer is another main concern, as 1.4 million people will have to be resettled due to the flooding of their lands (Fearnside 1988: 618). Estimates of the cost of the project range from 57,100 million up to one billion yuan. Opponents of the dam are concerned that bodi time and cost of building the dam have been underestimated. There is also a fear that several hidden costs have not been considered at all. The Gezhouba dam (38 km upstream ofThree Gorges) was scheduled to be completed in five years. In reality, the dam took 18 years to complete and cost four times the original estimate (Edmonds 1991: 120). Judging from the Gezhouba project, concerns that the cost of the Three Gorges dam may be underestimated are not unfounded. One factor that has largely been ignored in the literature is the dam's impact on public health. According to the World Health Organization, "the construction of dams and formation of reservoirs and irrigation systems...can cause rapid environmental degradation, and health risks may arise even before there is any awareness of the danger and before preparations have been made to overcome it" (Hunter et al. 1993: 5). Water resource development projects, such as the Three Gorges dam, have a strong tendency for exacerbating parasitic diseases (Hunter et al. 1993: 4). Among such diseases is schistosomiasis, which has long been a public health problem in China. The purpose of this paper is to consider the environmental impact assessments (EIA) and cost-benefit analyses of the Three Gorges project, and their reliability. …

Schistosoma Japonicum Infection: A Hidden Cost of China’s Three Gorges Dam?