Sichuan Earthquake

Besides posing a major risk to dams, scientists are increasingly certain that earthquakes can be triggered by the dams themselves. Globally, scientists believe that there are over 100 instances, strewn over six continents, of dam reservoirs inducing earthquakes.

Li Zheng/International Federation of Red Cross

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Originally published in The Irrawaddy

Frequent earthquakes in North Burma this year have raised more concern over the military government's plan to build a series of mega dams on the Irrawaddy River to generate electricity.

Originally published in the First Business Daily (Diyi caijing bao)

Translated by Three Gorges Probe

Experts in geology, water conservancy, and environmental protection have jointly appealed to authorities in Beijing to temporarily suspend the approval of big hydro dams in geologically unstable areas in southwest China, in the wake of the deadly May 12 earthquake. They argue that top priority should be given to doing a careful and detailed investigation of all dams and reservoirs in the disaster affected region, and that no more large scale dam projects should be approved before risk assessments of reservoirs in Sichuan are completed, the First Business Daily (Diyi caijing bao) reported on June 12, 2008.

Originally published in The Financial Times

The modern world has never faced the threat of dangerous dams on
anything like the scale of the crisis now unfolding in Sichuan in the
aftermath of the earthquake two weeks ago, engineers say.

The presence of so many dams near the epicenter in Sichuan province has
complicated rescue and recovery efforts. Some even say that dams can cause
quakes.

Originally published in the Los Angeles Times

BEIJING -- Mao Tse-tung famously declared "man must conquer nature," and
his political heirs have followed his dictum zealously by building dams
and other gigantic projects that have altered the landscape of China.

Originally published in the Inter Press Service News Agency

DUJIANGYAN, Jun 25 (IPS) - China's deadly earthquake last month
appears to have shifted more than just tectonic plates in the
country's picturesque Sichuan province. The May 12 temblor has given a
boost to China's green lobby that has been calling for a review of
Beijing's zealous dam-building programme and may tilt the balance of
public opinion in favour of such appeals.

Scientists want review of major hydroelectric projects in unstable areas

Originally published in the South China Morning Post

Mainland experts, environmental groups and activists have urged the
government to review plans to build big dams in the earthquake-prone
southwest.