Three Gorges Dam Conflict 1
Running Head: CONFLICT ANALYSIS: THREE GORGES DAM
Three Gorges Dam Conflict: Views and Analysis
Sarah F. Watson
Colorado State University
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 2
Abstract
The Three Gorges Dam currently being built on the Yangtze River in China is forcing the
resettlement of over a million people. Shipping interests, city dwellers, and the Chinese
government all support the dam's construction, while archeologists, human rights organizations,
and those forced to resettle do not. This paper explores and organizes the stakeholders' views
through conflict tree and conflict mapping analysis methods. The AmericaSpeaks methodology
is suggested as a transformation method to ease the tension between the stakeholders.
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 3
Introduction and Background
As tall as a 60 story building, storing over 11 trillion gallons of water, stopping 55
million tons of coal being burned a year, producing enough energy to equal 18 nuclear power
plants and forcing the resettlement of over 1.3 million people what single building project is
doing all this (Chetham, 2002; Kennedy, 2001)? The Three Gorges Dam Project on the Yangtze
River in China is one of the most controversial building projects ever. The conflict between
groups on opposing sides of the Three Gorges Dam truly began in the early 1930s (Gupta &
Asher, 2000). However, the first suggestion for a dam in the Three Gorges area came from Sun
Yet Sen in 1919 (Economy, 2004). The ground breaking ceremony was held in December of
1994 with proposed completion date in 2009 (Chetham, 2002).
The conflict between the proponents and the opponents of the dam are based around the
key issue of the reservoir that the dam will create. The water will rise an average of 290 meters
within the gorges themselves (Chetham, 2002). The reservoir created by the dam will be 360
miles long and an anticipated 175 miles deep (Economy, 2004). The reservoir will cause the
flooding of over 12,000 acres of tangerine orchards, 150 towns, 800 historical sites, and the
beautiful gorges in the area (Gupta & Asher, 2000; Chetham, 2002; Gamer, 1999). While the
Three Gorges Dam will eventually be able to provide 10 percent of the energy China needs
without burning coal, is this worth the forced resettlement of over a million people (Economy,
2004)?
Is there a way to transform this conflict and reduce the tension between the opposing
sides? The AmericaSpeaks conflict resolution methodology, also known as a 21st Century Town
Meeting combines a multitude small group discussions in a larger context that allows thousands
of people to voice their opinions simultaneously. I believe this method is the best way to
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 4
transform a conflict that has such a wide array of stakeholders. Additionally, this method allows
the comments to be kept anonymous which would be necessary in a location where the
government is known for suppressing dissenting views, like China.
Figure 1: Map of Three Gorges area (McGill University, 2001)
Stakeholder Views
Farmers
The farmers who are being forced to move out of the flooding areas generally do not
support the construction of the dam. Over 23,000 hectares of agricultural land will be flooded by
the reservoir formed by the Three Gorges Dam (Veeck, Ponnell, Smith & Huang, 2007).
Though most farmers are being given other land, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has
estimated that five times as much land as farmers are being given to equal the productivity of the
land being flooded (Chetham, 2002). However the farmers are not being given more land than
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 5
they originally had. Additionally, many farmers are being asked to stop farming, unless they are
moving out of the valley. The land that some of the farmers are being given is on the upper
slopes of the valley and the government has concerns about increase erosion and sedimentation.
One of the most disturbing stories around the resettlement problems is the story of three
farmers who tried to report corruption. These men were arrested and held for months before they
were charged. The charges eventually filed include: disturbing the resettlement process; leaking
of state secrets; and maintaining illicit relationships with foreign countries (Chetham, 2002).
The farmers were charged with having illicit relationships with foreign countries because the
international press picked up their story (Chetham, 2002). This suppression of dissenting views
has caused concerns within the international community.
Human Rights Organizations
Many human rights organizations are concerned about the construction process, the
restriction on opposing views, and the forced resettlement of over one million people. The
Provincial Government, where a large number of those having to be resettled are from, has
enacted an article that states “Resettlers compelled to evacuate by the resettlement plan and
relevant agreements and contracts may not procrastinate or refuse to relocate under any excuse”
(Human Rights Watch, 1995, p. 13). Most human rights organizations do not support the
construction of the dam because of the rigidity of laws the immovable stance the Chinese
government takes on dissenting views. In addition, there are concerns about the conditions and
use of prison laborers as construction workers on the dam (Chetham, 2002).
Environmentalists Against the Dam
Ma Jun‘s quote “These large dams will have a lot of impacts, some irreversible”(¶49)
gives credence to why some environmentalists oppose the Three Gorges Dam Project (Yardley,
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 6
2007). Environmental degradation concerns were reported by Chinese scientists as early as 1986
when a conference about the proposed dam project took place in Beijing (Economy, 2004).
There are 144 different plant communities within the Three Gorges Dam which will be impacted
by the flooding of the reservoir (Wu et al., 2004). Environmentalists are concerned over the
likely loss of already endangered species including the Chinese Sturgeon, the Yangtze Dolphin
and the Siberian Crane (Gupta & Asher, 2000). Other concerns of environmentalists include:
deforestation, dredging, sedimentation, and contamination by toxic chemicals.
Archeologists
A large number of cultural and historically important sites will be flooded as the reservoir
begins to fill, one of the most famous being the ghost city of Fengdu (Economy, 2004). As
Chetham (2002) explained the “National Cultural Relic Bureau has identified 1,208 sites and
buildings considered of key significance, but little can be done to save most of them” (p.189).
This is why most archeologists do not support the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Some
archeologists and archeological organizations petitioned for funding and time to remove the
artifacts, buts these requests were denied by the Chinese government (Chetham, 2002).
Forced Resettlers
It is generally believed that the local citizens, even those living in cities will not benefit
directly from the construction of the dam. None of the power is intended for the local area.
Only if there is access power will the local areas receive any of the cheaper energy generated by
the dam (Chetham, 2002). The citizens within the areas being flooded are being forced to
relocate. Some citizens are relocating to parts of the same town further upslope, while others
have been given the option to move to entirely different provinces. It is hard to know how this
massive group of people feels about the relocation process or about the Three Gorges Dam itself
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 7
as their stories are not published or public available. Dissenting views are punished harshly in
China, as evidenced by the story of the three farmers who reported corruption. It is easy to
understand why this group of over a million people do not speak up. I can imagine that these
individuals do not want to leave their homes and places they have lived for centuries, but they
have no choice.
Dai Qing’s Story
Dai Qing is a famous Chinese journalist and has been an outspoken protestor the Three
Gorges Dam since the very beginning and an advocate for the rights of those forced to relocate.
Qing publicly called the Three Gorges Dam “the most environmentally and socially destructive
project in the world” (Kennedy, 2001, ¶ 10). She wrote a book called Yangtze! Yangtze! about
the Three Gorges Dam Project and how she did not support the dam’s construction. In 1986, she
interviewed a series of people about the Three Gorges Project and then wrote newspaper articles
(Economy, 2004). Newspapers refuse to print her editorials because of the government control
of the media in China. Eventually, Qing found a book publisher that was too small for there to
be a great deal of governmental oversight and her book was published.
Within a year of publication, Qing’s book was banned in China (Economy, 2004). In
response to the book’s publishing Qing was banned from any meetings involving the Three
Gorges Dam Project and then later from all environmentally oriented government meetings
(Economy, 2004). Qing was arrested and spent 10 months in jail, 1989-1990, for speaking out
against the dam in the time immediately following the Tiananmen Square crackdown on free
speech (Chetham, 2002; Kennedy, 2001).
Chinese Government
The Chinese government supports the construction of the Three Gorges Dam; they claim
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 8
that not only will the dam stop disastrous floods on the Yangtze river but provide clean energy to
fuel China’s future (Gupta & Asher, 2000). On the Yangtze river, over the past 100 years, over 1
million people have died from flooding (Kennedy, 2001). It is interesting to me that the areas
downstream that have historically been impacted by flooding are urban areas. Clean energy
seems to be the most emphasized reason why the Chinese government is supporting the
construction of a series of hydroelectric dams, mainly along the Yangtze River.
In July of 1990, the State Council in China gave the Three Gorges Dam Project their
unanimous endorsement (Chetham, 2002). Interestingly, when the dam project was being voted
on by the National People’s Congress, in 1992, some 177 delegates, one-third of the Congress,
voted NO and 664 delegates abstained from voting (Economy, 2004; Chetham, 2002). The
Three Gorges Dam resolution passed by the smallest margin in Chinese history. What makes
this story most interesting, however, is that two delegates walked out of the vote (Gamer, 1999).
Even within the Chinese government, there have been dissenting views about the construction of
the dam on the Yangtze River, however the dam has been endorsed and approved by the
government.
City Dwellers
The Chinese citizens who live in the larger cities will benefit greatly from the
construction of the Three Gorges Dam and so generally support its construction (Chetham,
2002). These are the people who will be able to purchase cheaper and cleaner energy from the
dam, mainly the people living in Guangzhou (Chetham, 2002). Lastly the Three Gorges Dam is
a matter of pride for the people of China, it is the largest dam in the entire world. From my own
travels, it appears that the people in China’s cities do not know much about the dam beyond the
national pride that it brings.
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 9
Environmentalist Supporting the Dam
Some environmentalists support the construction of hydrologic dams, especially in China,
because of the large amount of coal that is currently burned on a daily basis. The plan for the
Three Gorges Dam is to generate 13x109 watts of power (Gupta & Asher, 2000). These
environmentalists support the dam largely because it will reduce the need to burn 55 million tons
of coal a year (Chetham, 2002). The statements “We believe that large-scale hydropower plants
contribute a lot to reduce energy consumption, air and environmental pollution” is the best way
to explain why some environmentalists support the construction of the dam (Yardley, 2007).
Analysis
Through the use and creation of a Conflict Tree, Figure 2, I have been able to analyze the
Three Gorges Dam conflict. The Conflict Tree has helped me to see that there are two main
areas of conflict, the socio-cultural issues and the environmental issues. The socio-cultural
issues include: forced resettlement, suppression of dissenting views, health concerns, and loss of
archeological sites. The environmental issues include: endangered species, erosional problems
and clean energy. The Conflict Tree helped me see these two broad categories of issues affected
by the Three Gorges Dam. The other method for analysis that I used was the Conflict Mapping
Method, Figure 3. Because of the large number of stakeholders in the Three Gorges Dam
conflict, creating a Conflict Map helped to illustrate who agreed with whom.
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 10
Figure 2: Conflict Tree of the Three Gorges Dam Project
Socio-Cultural Issues
Forced Resettlement
The forced resettlement of over a million people is one of the most contentious social
issues
caused
by the
Three
Gorges
Dam,
though the
government is supposedly helping those forced to move. As one grandmother who had been
farmer her entire life said “They forced us to tear everything down and move away” (Maass,
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 11
1996, ¶2). One of the reasons they resisted the resettlement once the construction began is
because there was a lack of governmental assistance for the farmers (Economy, 2004). The U.S.
News and World Report stated that “A five person family is supposed to get 29,000 yuan (about
$4000) as compensation for the loss of (their) home” (Maass, 1996, ¶4). However, as the story
about the three farmers suggests this money does not always get to those who need it or are
entitled to it. According to the Chinese census, there are three times as many people living in the
Three Gorges area than the national average population densities. This means that more people
have to move because the dam was built in this region of China (Gupta & Asher, 2000). The
village of Daqiao had 57 people move to another province as part of the relocation process in
2002, but they have all moved back to the Yangtze River area (Yardley, 2007). However, this
story was not reported to the Chinese people and those who returned were harshly forced out
again. The resettlement process has not gone smoothly, in the slightest, as evidenced by the fact
that almost 30 percent of the plans for resettlement have failed (Kwai-cheong, 1995).
Suppression of Dissenting Views
“They don’t let us talk to journalist, they’ll punish us for saying bad things about them” is
what one female Chinese citizen told CNN when she was interviewed. Dai Qing, one individual
who had the courage to speak out against the dam, was arrested and spent 10 months in jail
(Chetham, 2002). It is said that before Tiananmen Square more people were speaking out
against the dam but since that time the voices of dissent have virtually vanished (Kennedy,
2001). Qing’s family is very well known, which some believe is the reason her story is public
(Chetham, 2002). Others who voiced opposing views were not as lucky as Qing, like the three
farmers. The charges, especially those of leaking state secrets and maintaining illicit
relationships with foreign countries, are fabricated charges. What is very sad is that while these
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 12
men did eventually return home to their families, they will be forever watched by the
government because they were trying to help their families (Chetham, 2002). Many human
rights organizations around the world have voiced opposition to the Chinese government’s stance
on dissenting views. Meanwhile China claims that these abuses of power are rare.
Health Concerns
One of the hidden issues of the Three Gorges Dam Project are the expected changes in
the health of the people who remain in the area. Malaria, which is already at epidemic levels in
the area, will likely increase because of the increase in standing water which can provide a
breeding ground for mosquitoes (Gupta & Asher, 2000). Large amounts of lead and mercury are
dumped in the Yangtze river on a yearly basis, which, when the area is flooded will expose the
people in the area to toxic chemicals (Chetham, 2002). In addition, it has been culturally
acceptable to dump trash into the river most of which will not be removed before the reservoir
begins filling. This parasite is already present in the Three Gorges area and will most likely
increase once the dam is built. Roughly 8,800 tons of toxic pollutants go into the river every
year, largely from factories and sewage (Chetham, 2002). Eighty percent of the sewage from
Chongqing, a large city just upstream of the dam site, dumps right into the river untreated.
Along with the trash comes parasites; schistosomiasis is a parasite that causes liver cancer
(Chetham, 2002). The Chinese government has made no plans to help those in need of medical
help even if their health is affected by the dam. Human rights organizations and those forced to
resettle are frustrated with the government’s lack of action.
Loss of Archeological Sites
Eight hundred historic sites will be destroyed as the reservoir behind the Three Gorges
Dam fills with water. Four of the sites that will be flooded date back to the early Neolithic time
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 13
period (Chetham, 2002). There are six historically walled cities and ancient plank roads within
the area to be submerged by the water (Gamer, 1999). There are sites of Ba settlements. The Ba
were a group of ancient people in the region roughly 4,000 years ago (Kennedy, 2001).
Archeologists want to preserve these historic sites but the Chinese government gave them neither
time nor money to perform the preservation work.
Environmental Issues
It is interesting to note that the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference issues
a report in 1986 opposing the construction of the dam in the Three Gorges area and raising
concerns over sedimentation of the proposed reservoir and flood control upstream of the dam
(Chetham, 2002). This report led to the dam being postponed, but not indefinitely. This report
suggested the consideration of tributary dams, which would decrease the environmental impacts
(Chetham, 2002). Environmentalists have concerns over loss of endangered species, erosion
problems caused by the dam, and the need for clean energy.
Endangered species
The Chinese Sturgeon, Yangtze Dolphin and Siberian Crane are all endangered species
that inhabit the Three Gorges area (Gupta & Asher, 2000). Chinese Paddle Fish have not been
caught in the Yangtze since 2003, about the time the dam construction was halfway done (Casey,
2008). There are 47 plant species that could easily go extinct from the flooding, 36 of which are
found only within the Three Gorges Dam area (Chetham, 2002). Environmentalists are highly
concerned about the loss of species diversity due to the dam, but the government claims that
need for clean energy is more important. While I was in China, I was repeatedly told that the
species would be fine, despite the lack of fish jumps or fish ladders.
Problems with Erosion
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 14
It is possible that there will be a series of erosional problem as an result of the dam.
Twenty years after the completion of the dam, sediment build up will have reached Chongqing
(Yardley, 2007). Dredging of the reservoir will need to take place in order to keep the shipping
channels open. This sedimentation will render the reservoir nearly pointless unless dredging
routinely occurs. The construction of the dam has triggered erosion along the banks of the
Yangtze upstream from the dam site and may have triggered landslides (The Economist, 2007).
Human rights organizations are concerned that the dam will continue to cause erosion of the
banks, where people are living. Banks have already collapsed in 91 locations (The Economist,
2007). Silt and sediment build up behind the dam is another environmental concern that will
affect the entire Yangtze River, not just the reservoir. There is 585,000 tons of silt coming down
the river in the average year, before construction began (Chetham 2002). Human rights
organizations, farmers, and environmentalists are all concerned about the possible erosional
problems that will result from the dam. The Chinese government and shipping interests are
mildly concerned about the sedimentation of the reservoir, but assure the public that can be
fixed through continual dredging.
Clean energy
China needs energy if they want to continue to prosper and advance in the world’s
economy. The hydrologic power from the power will be generated by the 26 turbines inside the
dam and these turbines will generate either 18.2 million kilowatts or 84.7 million kilowatts of
energy (Chetham, 2002; Associated Press, 2008). If 84.7 million kilowatts are produced, that is
enough energy for Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento counties to be lit up (Associated
Press, 2008). The Three Gorges Dam will reduce emissions by 150 million tons (CNN, 2008).
This part of the conflict is mainly between the two differing environmental views. While some
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 15
environmentalists see the harm that the dam will do diminishing the possible benefits of clean
energy, others view the Dam as a way to drastically reduce China’s use of coal powered plants.
Figure 3: Conflict Map of the Three Gorges Dam
Transformation Methodology
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 16
I believe that the best strategy to transform the Three Gorges Dam conflict is the
AmericaSpeaks through the use of 21st Century Town Meetings. The 21st Century Town
Meeting method is based around a combination of small discussion groups and the use of
modern technology. This methodology works well because it helps build the public confidence
in government. “Fewer than four in ten America say they believe that ‘most elected officials
care what people like me think’” (Goldman et al., 2004, p. 2). I wonder how the Chinese public
views their government when such a small ratio of Americans believes the American
Government care about what they think. In a culture of repression and control of dissenting
views, the people in China need more of an opportunity to express their views anonymously.
One of the reasons that the 21st Century Town Meeting would work so well to resolve the
Three Gorges Dam conflict is because large numbers of individuals can engage in the process at
the same time. As many as 5,000 people at a single time which means that large numbers of
Chinese citizens can participate, which will ease the tension that would be created if smaller
groups were only allowed to participate (Holman, Devane, Cady & Associates, 2007).
Collaborative Possibilities
There are certain organizations and interest groups that have obvious collaboration
possibilities. For instance, environmentalists who do not want the Three Gorges Dam built could
easily collaborate with archeologists who want to protect the area or with Human Rights
Organizations interested in ensuring that the Chinese people are kept safe. This type of analysis
could also be formed with specific individuals like Dai Qing or with stakeholder groups such as
the farmers or those individuals forced to resettle.
A less formal collaborative relationship could be created between the City Dwellers and
the Chinese Government. The relationship between the Chinese Government and others cannot
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 17
be as formalized as other relationships because of the imbalance of power created strength of the
government. The Chinese Government has no need and probably no desire to collaborate with
any interest group or organization within China’s borders because the government already has
the power and does not need help to get things accomplished
Possible Problems
One of the most obvious problems associated with conflict resolution in China is the
social atmosphere and government’s actions towards individuals with dissenting views. The
social atmosphere of China is one in which individuals have to be highly protective of what they
say because of the Chinese’s governments actions toward dissenting views. The most obvious
example of the government’s actions toward dissent is the three farmers who were imprisoned
for voicing their opinions. Another example is Dai Qing’s lack of access to governmental
meetings and the banning of her book by the Chinese government. Both of these situations are
evidence of the realistic fear held by the Chinese public.
The problem with any methodology used to transform a conflict, for the Three Gorges
Dam conflict, is the extreme difference in what each group wants. The Chinese government
wanted to build the dam and were willing to move over a million people to reach their aim.
Environmentalists, archeologists, and human rights organizations oppose the construction of the
dam, but for very different reasons. The distinct differences in the desired goals for the area and
the fact that there are minimal ways to compromise makes this conflict a difficult one to solve.
Another difficulty that will have to be overcome before and during the collaborative
process is the assumption, by most of the developed world, that typing and an understanding of
computers is general knowledge, especially for individuals in China. However, this is not true.
Logically, it makes no sense for a farmer in rural China to know how to type let alone,
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 18
understand how a computer can send information to other places in the blink of an eye. If
sessions are intended to include everyone regardless of who they are, it may be necessary to
employ recorders, individuals knowledgeable about computers and willing to take notes on what
other think.
Also, there is the issue of the language barrier. One of the desired goals is for all the
participants to gain an understanding of how others feel about the dam; and so it is necessary for
the discussion groups to have a diverse group of stakeholders. The desire to have a diverse
group of stakeholders at a single table, with the exception of governmental officials, means that
representatives from international organizations need to be inter-dispersed with farmers,
archeologists, and individuals forced to resettle. A difficulty arises here, of having diverse
stakeholders come in, not all international officials speak Mandarin, the official language of
China, and not all Chinese citizens speak Mandarin. At the actual meetings, this may be the
most difficult logistical challenge because who will show up is not known until the day and what
language they speak will be undetermined as well. A large number of translators will be needed,
even if they are used only to translate the group discussion computer inputs of comments.
With the goal of allowing complete anonymity for all those participating in the process
there should not be a sign in or sign up sheet. The list could later be used, by the government, to
persecute certain participants. The lack of a sign in sheet makes it difficult to ensure that all
voices will be heard and that a wide range of demographics will be included in the mediation
process. Part of this problem of lack of data about who is involved can be diminished if polls
about demographics are taken at the beginning of each meeting or at each meeting location. This
method will allow anonymity but still allow for increased understanding about who is
participating.
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 19
Lastly the issue of the government accepting and acting on the public’s input creates a
problem for the facilitator of the conflict transformative process. If the public do not feel that
their ideas and input will have any impact on the decision that the overseeing body makes, then
they will not want to participate in the process of making comments. This issue is going to be
hard to overcome because of the historic context of China and the government’s views on public
opinion.
Management Strategy
Initial Steps
There are five steps in the normal 21st Century Town Meeting method, however I have
adapted this to include a sixths step (see Table 3). Step one is the development of the process
through which people will be participating. This includes goal clarification, agenda creation and
designing the components of what will be included during later discussion groups (Goldman et
al., 2004). For the Three Gorges Dam conflict, the major goals of the meetings will be to: 1)
ensure that all voices are given a chance to be heard; 2) build collaborative relationships between
all groups; 3) gain knowledge about the opinions and views of others; 4) build trust between
Chinese citizens and the Chinese government; and 5) reach a point where the Three Gorges Dam
conflict is less contentious. Step one also includes designing the components or parts of what
will become the meeting method, this is one of the areas where the plan I have deviates for the
suggested method. Given the fear held by the Chinese people about what will happen if they
voice dissenting views, I suggest that there be two different meeting rooms one for the public
only and another for governmental officials. Usually all of the participants are in the same room.
The second step is the part of the process where stakeholders are contacted, members of
the public are encouraged to come and recruitment of governmental officials occur (Goldman et
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 20
al., 2004). This part of the process could be one of the most difficult because of the effort
required to get the public involved. International organization have played major roles in
protesting the construction of the Three Gorges Dam, including; Human Rights Watch Asia,
environmental agencies, and archeologists from around the world; these organizations would
most likely be willing to be involved with a collaborative project. One of the most delicate roads
that will need to be navigates is convincing the Chinese public to be involved in an endeavor that
could easily anger their government.
Meetings
After the stakeholder groups are involved, it is time for a series of meetings. At the onset
of every meeting it may be necessary for the facilitators to explain to the public that all of their
comments and views will be kept anonymous. It is at this point when the process will be
explained and fears assuaged about how the Chinese government feels about their participation.
This time might also allow for a poll about who each individual is, which will provide data to the
facilitators about who is involved without a sign in process.
A series of meetings or a single meeting with multiple sessions would allow for more
people to add their input. Another option to increase the number of individuals who participate
is to set up local input meetings, this option would be an effective way to get the farmers and
locals opinions. During this step a large number small tables will be needed for small discussion
groups to sit at. This is another place where my plan deviates from the traditional method
because I plan to have a separate room for governmental officials. At each table or local input
center there needs to be a computer and someone capable of operating that computer. The need
for component typist might require hiring assistants to type the participants’ views. These views
and comments will be directly sent to the facilitator team, though translation will be required
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 21
either before the team separates the comments into specific themes or afterwards as everyone
needs to be able to understand what is being discussed. The comments once separated into
themes will be displayed on screens, each screen will be dedicated to a specific theme. The
method of instant access to what other think will encourage thinking for other groups. The
governmental officials will meet in another room, though some of the international organizations
may be willing to meet with them. The opinions and views of the governmental discussions will
be added to the screens the same as all other views. This separation of governmental and
nongovernmental discussion groups will require more screens and computers, but will allow for
freer conversations.
Post Meeting Actions
The step I am adding, is the combining of data from all of the discussion groups and its
presentation to higher governmental officials. This step is necessary because combined data will
encourage the Chinese government to accept the public’s views more readily. The cooperation
of the Chinese government and the acceptance of the public’s opinions will not only go a long
way towards getting the public to support the government’s future plans but help the public to
stay safe from government repercussions.
Communication to the public, and in the Three Gorges Dam situation to the world, is the
fifth step in the process. This outreach can be done in many ways including: public hearings,
media outreach, meetings by stakeholder organizations, and governmental announcements.
Once decisions have been made it is important to let the public know what was decided. This
step is especially important when decisions may be controversial or when the issue has been
controversial. A series of announcements will be necessary after the Three Gorges Dam conflict
has been mediated due to the large number of stakeholders involved and the necessity of
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 22
reaching everyone, in every language.
The final step in the AmericaSpeaks transformative process is, hopefully, sustaining
engagement from as many individuals and groups as possible in the mediation method and
evaluating how well they feel the mediation worked. In highly developed countries, like the
United States, methods like online forums and community meetings work well. However, in a
country like China and on an issue that affects multiple socio-economic levels, continued
engagement by parties will be very difficult. Continuing involvement on the part of the farmers
and those forced to resettle could result in them being targeted by the Chinese government,
especially if the government does not appreciate or agree with the results of the meetings.
Evaluation
Evaluation of how the transformative methodology worked is difficult to complete under
the conditions that have been suggested. Without a list of names of who participated in the
meetings there can be no follow up interviews. A poll taken at the closing ceremonies of the
meeting(s) would give the facilitators an idea bout how the participants felt. However, long term
analysis would not be possible from this poll. The international organization’s views could be
studied in a long term manner, but their opinions of the process could be biased based on how
the result of the meeting affected their organization and the mission of their organization. The
most telling and visible change after the meetings would be Chinese government’s changes or
lack of changes in the environmental policies enacted and how they were enacted. Additionally,
while there may not be an immediate official governmental response to the Three Gorges Dam
conflict, the Chinese government may well respond differently in the future.
Table 3: 21st Century Town Meeting Steps
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 23
(Adapted from Holman, Devane, Cady & Associates, 2007)
Stakeholder Response
I believe the all of the stakeholders involved within this conflict will agree that the 21st
Century Town Meeting method is an appropriate transformative method, with the possible
exception of the Chinese government. If the Chinese government agrees to let facilitators run
this program or a similar one, then there is a good chance that, while little will change for those
individuals directly affected by the Three Gorges Dam, future policy decisions will include more
of the citizens’ concerns.
Conclusion
In modern times, the Chinese government has made remarks both opposing and
supporting the dam’s construction. Stated by the State Council‘s Three Gorges Project
Construction Committee Executive Director “We can say the impact the Three Gorges (Dam)
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 24
has had on the ecosystem does not go beyond what we predicted”(Li, 2007, ¶2) in response to
his previous comments about possible hazards of the dam. Earlier the director said “ many
threats to the environment and could lead to major hazards” (Li, 2007, ¶3). Either way the Three
Gorges Dam is near completion, most of the 1.4 million people have been resettled, and some of
the environmental degradation has already taken place. This conflict is diverse, with many
varying opinions and views, has many facets and many issues, and is a conflict that will be
examined for years to come. “A level playing field on which citizens can authentically engage”
(Holman, Devane, Cady & Associates, 2007, p. 394) is created when a mediation method like a
21st Century Town Meeting is used. As anonymity is important to the citizens in China when
they speak out against governmental practices, this method of mediation would work well.
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 25
Reference List
Casey, M. (2008). Scientist Plies Asia Seeking Freshwater Stingray: American scientist
plies Asian rivers seeking freshwater stingray_ ’king of the river’. ABC News [Thailand].
Retrieved September 22, 2008, from abcnews.go.com
Chetham, D. (2002). Before the Deluge: The Vanishing World of the Yangtze’s Three
Gorges. United States of America: Palgrave Macmillan.
CNN News. (2008). Three Gorges Controversy [CNN Video]. United States: CNN Video.
Retrieved October 12, 2008 fromhttp://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2008/01/15/
hilsum.china.three.gorges.dam.itniref=videosearch.
Economy, E. (2004). The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China’s
Future. London: Cornell University Press.
Fisher, S., Abdi, D., Ludin, J., Smith, R., Williams, S., & Williams, S. (2000). Working with
Conflict: Skills& Strategies for Action, Chapter 2 “Tools for
Conflict Analysis” (p.17-35).
Gamer, R. (Ed.). (1999). Understanding Contemporary China. Boulder, Colorado: Lynne
Rienner Publishers.
Goldman, J., Berkow, J., Boyd, A., Brigham, S., Coquillon, E., Fiero, J., Jacobson, W.,
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 26
Lukensmeyer, C., Miller, J., Torres, L., White, E. & Williamson, A. (2004). Millions of
Voices: A Blueprint for Engaging the American Public in National Policy-Making.
Washington D.C.: America Speaks
Gupta, A. & Asher, M. (2000). Environment and the Developing World Principles,
Policies, and Management. New York: John Wiley and Sons.
Holman, P., Devane, T., Cady, T., & Associates. (2007). 21st Century Town Meeting Chapter,
The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today’s Best Methods for Engaging
Whole Systems. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.
Human Rights Watch/Asia. (1995). The Three Gorges Dam in China: Forced Resettlement,
Suppression of Dissent, and Labor Rights Concerns. New York: Human Rights
Publishing.
Kennedy, B. (2001). China’s Three Gorges Dam: China’s biggest construction project since
the Great Wall generates controversy at home and abroad. CNN. Retrieved September
10, 2008, from cnn.com.
Kwai-cheong, C. (1995). The Three Forges Project of China: Resettlement Prospects and
Problems. Ambio, 23(2), 98-102. Retrieved November 1, 2008, from JSTOR database.
Li, R. (2007, November 16). About-face on impacts of huge dam projects; Official now
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 27
denies ecological risk. South China Morning Post, p.6. Retrieved September 4, 2008,
from Lexis-Nexis database.
Maass, H. (1996, September 1). Building the Next Great Wall of China: The world’s
largest dam. US News. Retrieved September 22, 2008, from usnews.com.
McGill University. (2001). Three Gorges Case Study. (http://www.arch.mcgill.ca)
One dam thing after another; The Three Gorges. (2007, November 3). The Economist [US
Edition]. Retrieved September 23, 2008 from Lexis-Nexis database.
Relocation for China’s Three Gorges Dam Finished (2008). ABC News [Beijing]. Retrieved
September 22, 2008, from abcnews.go.com.
Veeck, G. & Ponnell, C. & Smith, C. & Huang, Y. (2007). China’s
Geography Globalization and the Dynamics of Political, Economic, and Social Change.
New York: Rowan and Littlefield Publishers Inc.
Wu J. & Huang, J. & Han, X. & Gao, X. & Je, F. & Jiang, M. & Jiang, Z. & Primack, R. &
Shen, Z. (January 2004). The Three Gorges Dam: An Ecological Perspectives.
Ecological Society of America, 2(5), 241-248. Retrieved September 20, 2008 from
JSTOR database.
Three Gorges Dam Conflict 28
Yardley, J. (2007, November 19). Chinese Dam Project Criticized for Their Human Costs.
The New York Times. Retrieved September 22, 2008.