Why was the Three Gorges Dam controversial in China?

The Three Gorges Dam has been a subject of significant controversy since its inception due to its profound social, environmental, and safety implications. Key concerns include:

• Displacement: The project forced the relocation of at least 1.3 million people—with some estimates reaching 1.9 million—from over 1,500 cities, towns, and villages.12
• Environmental and Cultural Loss: The reservoir submerged vast areas of scenic beauty, including numerous rare architectural and archaeological sites. Critics also fear the project threatens endangered species, such as the Chinese sturgeon and finless porpoise, and that industrial waste pollutes the reservoir.12
• Geological Risks: The massive weight of the impounded water is blamed for an increase in regional landslides and earthquakes. There are also persistent fears regarding the potential for catastrophic dam failure.12
• Efficacy and Alternatives: Debates persist regarding the dam's actual effectiveness in flood control. Many experts argued that building smaller, cheaper dams on Yangtze tributaries could have achieved similar power and flood-control goals with fewer risks.1

Due to these concerns, the project faced unprecedented political resistance and was denied funding by the World Bank.1