Three Gorges Dam People And Forced The Relocation Of 1.3 Million

"Compared to 1998, the biggest difference is the Three Gorges Dam. Without it, thousands of soldiers and rescuers would have been needed to fight the floods," said Yuan Jie, director of the Three Gorges Cascade Dispatching Center of China Three Gorges Cooperation.

The Three Gorges Dam traditional is a hydroelectric dam that spans the Yangtze River by the town of Sandouping, located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province, China. It is the world's largest electricity-generating plant of any kind.

Wang Jingquan, a drought and flood prevention official at the water-resources committee, said the Three Gorges Dam was designed to withstand up to 110,000 cubic meters of water a second. He added that reservoir levels are below the maximum capacity of 175 meters high and that the dam's electricity turbines haven't been operating at full capacity because the area had been suffering from drought.

Rainfall since July 1 has affected about 38 million people and forced the relocation of 1.3 million in 11 provinces, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said July 16. Rice output in China, which accounts for 35 percent of global production, may drop by 10 percent on torrential rains and outbreak of pests.

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