On May 17, CBCGDF Research Office received the Notice of Government Information Disclosure on Application from the Ministry of Ecology and Environment (hereinafter referred to as the “Notice”). The Notice is in response to the application submitted by China Biodiversity Conservation and Green Development Foundation on March 25 to make public the “Acceptance and Approval Documents of the Environmental Protection Completion of the Three Gorges Hydropower Project and the Post-Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the Three Gorges Hydropower Project”.

According to the Notice on May 17, after examination, information related to the Three Gorges Project involves third parties' legitimate rights and interests. In accordance with Article 32 of the Regulations on the Disclosure of Government Information, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment will send a letter to a third party to solicit opinions and inform the CBCGDF through the Notice on Disclosure of Government Information upon Application ([2021] No. 219) on April 23, 2021. At the same time, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said that according to Article 33 of the Regulations on the Disclosure of Government Information, the legal application for information disclosure would require an extension of 20 working days to reply. 

The Three Gorges Water Conservancy Project on the Yangtze River is a cascade hydropower station consisting of the Xiling Gorge section of the Yangtze River in Yichang, Hubei Province, and the Gezhouba Hydropower Station in the lower reaches. It is the largest hydropower station in the world. In 1993, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and with the strong support of the people of the whole country, the Three Gorges Water Conservancy Project was entirely constructed. It was completed in 2009 and lasted 17 years. After the Three Gorges Water Conservancy Project was put into operation, it brought into full play the comprehensive benefits of flood control, power generation, navigation and water resources utilization.

The Three Gorges Water Conservancy Project has been completed and used for nearly 12 years, and the related monitoring work on ecology and the environment have also accumulated for nearly 12 years. So, what has been the impact of the Three Gorges Project on the mainstream of the Yangtze River over the years? What is the effect on the climate of the reservoir area? What has happened to the natural ecology? Are the rare and endangered aquatic animals such as the Chinese sturgeon and the baiji dolphin effectively protected? How to evaluate the overall advantages and disadvantages of this large-scale hydraulic project? …… Since the three gorges water conservancy project was put into use, especially its influence on flood control and water supply in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, it has been attracting much attention. 

On December 26, 2020, the 24th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress adopted the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of the Yangtze River, which calls for strengthening the protection and restoration of the ecological environment in the Yangtze River basin, promoting the rational and efficient use of resources, ensuring ecological security, and realizing harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The Law on the Protection of the Yangtze River states that the Yangtze River basin's economic and social development should prioritize ecology, promote green development, jointly promote the protection, and refrain from large-scale development. 

As the ecological impact of the Three Gorges Project on the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River is in urgent need of assessment, CBCGDF Research Office hopes to receive a positive response from the third party in the next 20 working days. Besides, based on the actual situation in the construction and use of the Project, CBCGDF Research Office also hopes that the Ministry of Ecology and Environment can actively coordinate with relevant parties to provide a complete series of acceptable documents for the environmental protection completion of the Three Gorges Project, and actively promote the post-environmental impact assessment of the Three Gorges Project, which provides scientific support for ecological protection and regional green development of the Yangtze River Basin in the new generation.

Translator/Aria Liu

Chinese original article: https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/0Q2G0xjAzfCuIwFtuVErTQ

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