Current:Home > reviewsChina Wins Approval for Giant Dam Project in World Heritage Site-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
China Wins Approval for Giant Dam Project in World Heritage Site
lotradecoin futures View Date:2024-12-25 16:46:24
China’s dam builders will press ahead with controversial plans to build a cascade of hydropower plants in one of the country’s most spectacular canyons, it was reported today, in an apparent reversal for prime minister Wen Jiabao.
The move to harness the power of the pristine Nu river – better known outside of China as the Salween – overturns a suspension ordered by the premier in 2004 on environmental grounds and reconfirmed in 2009.
Back then, conservation groups hailed the reprieve as a rare victory against Big Hydro in an area of southwest Yunnan province that is of global importance for biodiversity.
But Huadian – one of the country’s five biggest utilities – and the provincial government have argued that more low-carbon energy is needed to meet the climate commitments of the fast-growing economy.
Their lobbying appears to have been successful, according to reports in the state media.
“We believe the Nu River can be developed and we hope that progress can be made during the 12th Five-Year Plan period (2011-2015),” Shi Lishan, the deputy director of new energy at the National Energy Administration, told Chinese national radio.
The plan envisages the construction of 13 dams on the middle and lower reaches of the river, with a total generating capacity of 21.3 gigawatts that is similar to that of the Three Gorges Dam.
The Nu (“angry river” in Chinese) flows from its source in the Himalayas through the heart of a United Nations world heritage site that has been called the “Grand Canyon of the Orient.” It is home to more than 80 endangered species, including snow leopards and Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys. Downstream, it provides water for Burma and Thailand, whose governments have joined a coalition of conservation groups and scientists in expressing opposition to the dam plans.
A recent report by China’s Economic Observer suggested the hydropower industry has overcome the political and environmental obstacles of the past five years and will now accelerate dam building.
Last month, the National Energy Agency said China plans to build an additional 140 gigawatts of hydropower capacity in the next five years as it tries to achieve the goal of producing 15 percent of its energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2020.
As well as the Nu, the next round of projects is also likely to include hydropower plants in Sichuan, Qinghai and Tibet.
Last month, conservationists expressed dismay at moves to redraw the boundaries at a vitally important fish reserve on the Jinsha to allow for dam construction.
Image: Nu River, by Chen Zhao
veryGood! (9)
Related
- How a small group of nuns in rural Kansas vex big companies with their investment activism
- Super Bowl prop bets for 2024 include Taylor Swift and Usher's shoes
- Elmo wrote a simple tweet that revealed widespread existential dread. Now, the president has weighed in.
- Man accused of beheading his father, police investigating video allegedly showing him with the head
- Drugs to treat diabetes, heart disease and blood cancers among those affected by price negotiations
- Oregon decriminalized drugs in 2020. Now officials are declaring a fentanyl state of emergency
- Broadway Star Hinton Battle Dead at 67
- Elon Musk can't keep $55 billion Tesla pay package, Delaware judge rules
- Anchorage police shoot, kill teenage girl who had knife; 6th police shooting in 3 months
- Thai activist gets two-year suspended prison sentence for 2021 remarks about monarchy
Ranking
- Democrats try to block Green Party from presidential ballot in Wisconsin, citing legal issues
- Win free food if you spot McDonald's Hamburglar on coast-to-coast road trip in the 'Burgercuda'
- Hurry! This Best-Selling Air Purifier That's Been All Over TikTok Is On Now Sale
- Academy of American Poets receives its largest ever donation
- Hurricane Ernesto aims for Bermuda after leaving many in Puerto Rico without power or water
- Dunkin' faces $5M lawsuit: Customers say extra charge for non-dairy milk is discrimination
- Elisabeth Moss Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby
- Elon Musk can't keep $55 billion Tesla pay package, Delaware judge rules
Recommendation
-
Traveling? Here Are the Best Life-Saving Travel Accessories You Need To Pack, Starting at Just $7
-
A federal judge dismisses Disney's lawsuit against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis
-
Secret history: Even before the revolution, America was a nation of conspiracy theorists
-
Stolen Jackie Robinson statue found dismantled and burned in Wichita, Kansas
-
Austin Dillon loses automatic playoff berth for actions in crash-filled NASCAR win
-
Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin calls Harvard students whiny snowflakes
-
Hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin calls Harvard students whiny snowflakes
-
Whether You're Rooting for the Chiefs or the 49ers, These Red Lipsticks Are Kiss-Proof
Tags
-
lotradecoin professional trading tools
lotradecoin advanced order types
lotradecoin innovations
lotradecoin ongoing promotions and bonuses
lotradecoin analytics
lotradecoin versus kucoin exchange
lotradecoin KYC verification process
lotradecoin trading rewards program
lotradecoin trading fee structure