In its campaigns against the dam, International Rivers Network has been calling attention to the environmental and social impacts of the project along with the international companies and banks necessary for construction.
In September of 1994, IRN and a coalition of US environment, development and human rights groups encouraged the US administration to withhold financial support for the US companies eager to bid for the project. After more than a year, the National Security Council concluded that the US government should stay clear of the controversial Three Gorges Dam.
In April 1992, the plan was formally endorsed by the National People's Congress (NPC). It is believed that the project will alter the entire ecological system and environment in the area. Not only will it divert the river's natural course, but it will also reclaim hundreds of acres of land that is the habitat for many species.
The project will also cause devastating environmental damage, increasing the risk of earthquakes and landslides. Once the project is completed, the factories in Chongqing - One of China's largest Cities - will dump their waste into the reservoir, thus polluting the water. It will also threaten the river's wildlife. In addition to massive fish species, it will also affect endangered species, including the Yangtze dolphin, the Chinese Sturgeon, the Chinese Tiger, the Chinese Alligator, the Siberian Crane, and the Giant Panda.…
