How does the yangtze river help people

A huge dam was designed to control flooding, create electricity and help navigation. But many problems remain. It supplies water for about million people. It has been blamed for an increased number of earthquakes in the area. That is an increase of about 60 percent from one year earlier. The total number of earthquakes has risen since the project began. One study from the China Earthquake Administration found that, between and , the number of quakes increased 30 times.

That time period is when the huge lake behind the dam began to fill. Xie said other problems include algae blooms and wastewater pollution. The government has long said the good results of the dam outweigh the costs.

Less than half of that money had been spent by the end of last year, Xie said. The professor told the Reuters news agency that officials in Beijing had said that the rest of the money would come between and But one government scholar, who did not want to be identified, said the additional money might not be enough to solve the long-term problems.

Other problems include sediment that is building up behind the dam. Today our biggest focus is on sustainable hydropower development across the basin.

Our biggest focus is on sustainable hydropower development across the basin. Qiaoyu Guo. Our work in the Penobscot River in Maine is an example. So the Conservancy helped them remove some of the dams and open the river to fish. But they have still maintained hydropower capacity for the whole river system by increasing hydropower in some areas to allow dam removal on more important areas.

This is Hydropower by Design. On this tributary of the Jinsha called the Heishui River, the Chinese government wants to do what we did on the Penobscot. There are one or two dams on that river already. They might remove the dams or create fish passage, and they want to create a conservation reserve on the Jinsha River. My team is involved to help introduce our successes—our Hydropower by Design methodologies in the U.

S that show how to conserve freshwater ecosystems by picking out the most important areas to protect. Does our work with large-scale hydropower companies go beyond Three Gorges? Qiaoyu : Yes. Last year, the Conservancy launched the Center for Sustainable Hydropower, based in Beijing, to help us influence hydropower development around the world.

A WWF study found that a lot of Yangtze river basin lakes are shrinking dramatically and could dry up completely. This helps develop the economy as well as protecting wildlife. We persuaded the government of Hubei province to try reopening sluice gates to reconnect one large lake, Zhang Du, to the river.

We've developed tools to help businesses identify their water risks and opportunities, and get involved in water stewardship. We set up the Yangtze Basin Protected Area Network in ,offering training, workshops, research, and funding opportunities. Business, communities and ecosystems are exposed to the same water challenges. That's why we see business as a key ally in helping us find solutions through water stewardship. We're working with communities, governments and businesses across the world to promote joined-up approaches to water management.

There are around 50, large dams currently in operation and millions of smaller ones throughout the world. We're working to make sure dams are carefully planned and managed so their negative impact is reduced. Discover our series of books that bring together experiences and lessons from around the globe on how to better plan and manage our precious water resources.

Using multiple tactics to change aquaculture practices to improve water quality in the Yangtze river.