Oriental Outlook

Flood Prevention

July 29, 2010

The Three Gorges Dam successfully prevented the severest flash flood since 1998 on July 20, showing its significance in flood control. While the dam helped ease the flooding in the Yangtze River area, it has not completely solved the problem. Water control works in the middle and lower reaches still need considerable investment for renovation, said Lu Youmei, from the Construction Commission for the Three Gorges Dam Project.

Future flood control still faces challenges. As the Three Gorges Dam blocks waterborne sand flowing from the upper reaches, erosion has made the riverbed in the middle and lower reaches deeper, increasing the force of water flow. It leads to damage of the embankments along the river.

Also, the flood diversion and water storage capacities of tributaries in the downstream areas, an essential flood prevention measure, are diminishing. This places a heavier burden on the Three Gorges Dam for flood control, said Zou Chaowang, senior engineer of Hubei Institute of Water Conservation and Hydroelectric Engineering Exploration and Design.

August 2, 2010

The sensitive energy consumption statistics of China and the United States in World Energy Outlook 2010 of the International Energy Agency (IEA), to be released in November, have been leaked ahead of schedule. The statistics, which indicate China overtook the United States last year to become the world's No.1 energy consumer, have been exaggerated by some Western media. China's National Energy Administration has questioned the accuracy of the IEA data, saying they are unauthentic.

Chinese experts attributed IEA's inaccuracy partly to its lack of first-hand information due to inadequate interaction with its Chinese counterparts. Not being an official IEA member, China is not obligated to provide relevant information to IEA. "The inaccurate data, which misinterpreted the facts, could mislead international public opinions," said Professor Feng Lianyong of China University of Petroleum.

Insiders say that the leak could be seen as a means of placing bigger pressure on China before the Climate Change Conference to be held later this year at Cancun, Mexico, with an aim of compelling China to make higher commitments in emission reduction, similar to those of developed Western countries.