Dam proposal opens the floodgates of debate

Assess the impact

Wang and Chen are not the only ones worried about the dam's negative environmental impact.

In September 2009, 15 top academicians signed a joint letter to Premier Wen Jiabao expressing their concerns about the plan, which was included in a blueprint for the Poyang Eco-economic Development Zone.

The central government approved the blueprint three months later, but the dam was ruled out. Instead, the province was asked to prepare scientific assessments on the potential impact.

Jiangxi invited a collection of academics, including some of those who opposed the plan, to look into key aspects, such as how the dam would affect the water quality, wetlands and migrating birds. The studies funded entirely by the provincial government to the tune of 10 million yuan were intended to provide scientific recommendations on whether the dam project should go ahead.

Several people who reviewed the studies told China Daily on condition of anonymity that they had concerns about the independence and transparency of the reports. One researcher even said he had been pressured by Jiangxi officials to highlight the benefits of the dam and to draw the conclusion that the project will "do more good than harm".

All six studies were completed in 2010, but the Jiangxi government did not make the complete reports public. Requests by several conservation groups to see the studies were turned down.

The province also organized another environmental assessment for the Poyang Lake Development Plan, of which the dam is a major part, to be carried out by the Yangtze Water Resources Protection Institute, which is affiliated with Ministry of Water Resources, and the Jiangxi Environmental Protection Institute.

The joint report concluded that the plan "will have both positive and negative effects on the ecology and environment, but there will be more good than harm". It said the negative impact will be on migrating birds, aquatic animals and water quality, but added that this could be prevented by certain measures.

Authorities solicited public opinion on the assessment between Sept 27 and Oct 7, a period that included the weeklong National Day break, and won approval from the Ministry of Environmental Protection in January, Jiangxi Morning Post reported.

However, Bai Chenshou, a senior official at the ministry, said a separate environmental impact assessment for the dam itself is still needed, and vowed that the ministry will be tough when reviewing the project due to the international wetlands treaty.

Another ministry official, who did not want to be identified discussing the project, told China Daily that Jiangxi is obviously pushing hard for the dam.

"We actually don't approve environmental assessments for development plans. Instead we give feedback," he said. "For Poyang Lake, we made it clear that the dam will have significant negative effects, and a separate evaluation is definitely necessary."

Even so, the future of Poyang Lake looks far from clear.

Environmentalists say the efforts of Jiangxi are just another example of how local governments relentlessly push projects that involve damming rivers and lakes for economic gain.

"It's still all about GDP and temporary economic growth," said a wetlands expert for an international environmental group who did not want to be identified. "The officials who make accomplishments (in getting approval and building dams) will soon get promotion, before the ecological woes start taking shape.

"With the dam, I'm really worried that Poyang will turn into another dead lake," he said.

Contact the reporter atlij@chinadaily.com.cn