Recently I was honored to be asked by UBC's Asia Pacific Memo to write a response to an interesting article by Prof. Ben Crow and Prof. Nirvikar Singh of the University of California, Santa Cruz.
My response piece was published on June 19, 2012. You can read the Memo here.
Readers may also be interested in a special series of Asia Pacific Memo that I had the privilege of co-editing earlier this year. The series is titled Water, Scarcity, and Tibetan Plateau Frontiers. You can read those Memos here.
A previous Tibetan Plateau blog post shared a downloadable link to the most detailed map of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) we have seen. The map was published by the TAR Bureau of Cartography in 1981.
We have more good news: there is an exhaustive index for the 1981 TAR map available online here. This 500+ page index is compiled by Gregor Verhufen in 1995.
The 1981 TAR map and the 1995 index to the map, together, undoubtedly constitute one of the richest and most helpful sources of information on (close to 9000!) Tibetan names of places, rivers, mountains, glaciers and lakes.
The map and the index, however, does not have names of Tibetan places outside TAR. Those interested in information on Tibetan places outside TAR are advised to refer to Steven Marshall and Susette Cooke's report, TIBET: Outside the TAR, which, hopefully, is still available for sale through the International Campaign for Tibet. Parts of the Marshall and Cooke's report are available here.
Readers are requested to share these resources with researchers and other people interested in Tibet.
The Tibetan Plateau blog is pleased to make the most detailed Tibetan language map of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) we have seen so far available for download. Although this is a relatively old map, published in 1981 by the TAR Bureau of Cartography, it is the best we have seen in terms of detail, showing settlements down to the level of villages below the township level. The map also shows roads, railway lines, hydro-dams and environmental features such as glaciers, desert, lakes and springs. Here are examples of the amazing level of detail in the map. The scale of the map is 1: 1000000.
A warning before you download the map: this is a huge (25 MB) JPEG file. If your computer has sufficient storage space and other resources, you can download the map here.
We hope that this map will be useful for students, researchers and others who are interested in Tibet.
With thanks to all the readers for their interest and support.
This just came to my attention: the Trace Foundation is accepting proposals for research that will be conducted on the Tibetan Plateau. I think that's fantastic and wish there were lots of applicants. So this blog post, after a long gap, is to encourage people (Tibetans, Chinese and all others!) to consider doing field research in Tibet!
There are lots of pressing environment and development issues that should to be researched: mining, hydro-power development, nomad resettlement or even something as simple as the significance of yak dung (Did you know there are as many as 14 different kinds of animal dung used by Tibetan farmers?). Really, there is no limit to the scope of useful topics that you could research. What is needed is your ability and desire to collect accurate and in-depth information.
Here are three examples of pressing topics that I would like to see researched, and why:
1) Economic benefits of Tibetan nomadic way of life. Not an easy topic of research. Ideally an interdisciplinary team of researchers should undertake the work. This research could be useful to counter the discourse that their 'backward" lifestyle is sign of poverty and under-development, one of the main reasons why this lifestyle faces extinction by deliberate government policy today.
2) Ecosystem services of Tibetan headwaters. Again a big topic. Perhaps someone can focus on one ecosystem service of a specific river in Tibet. This kind of research is needed to educate people (and the government) about the different useful services provided by a free-flowing river.
3) A Citizens Guide to mining operations. I would like to see a Tibetan language guide for local leaders to organize and educate their communities and authorities about people's constitutional rights in the face of mining activities in their region. (Tesi Environmental Awareness Movement has translated the Citizens Guide to the World Commission on Dams into Tibetan. For some reason, it's currently not available for download. I will check into this and try to make it available here)
A couple of quick updates: Zhikhong and Thrangu Dam
Last year, Tibetan Plateau blog reported a doctored Google Earth image, which suspiciously covers the Zhikhong Dam, located approximately 100 km NE of Lhasa. While Google did not respond to my queries, the company has now uploaded a different, untampered image of the dam. See below.
THRANGU DAM In April 14, 2010, a huge earthquake hit Yushu County and caused massive destruction to life and property. The tremors had also damaged a dam, threatening to flood the main city located downstream.
Google Earth has uploaded a April 28, 2010 image of the dam, which shows the reservoir mostly empty.
Check out these images on Google Earth yourself! Notice the coordinates (latitude and longitude) at the bottom of most GE images posted on this blog. Share what you find with us and your friends!
A friend forwarded this news story to me. About 3000-4000 Tibetans will have to leave their ancestral homes and villages to make way for a hydro-power project near Lhasa's Lhundrup county in a place called Phondo (????????). Most of these people are agro-pastoralists. The farmers have been ordered to leave their homes by next year and that they cannot practice their traditional livelihood there any more. Farmers are worried that they will be forced to sell their animals and relocated to separate areas. Their requests for better relocation plans have been ignored. According to the report, all of the construction workers that have moved into the region are Chinese and there are a few thousand soldiers now stationed at the site.
This project is documented in our last map of Hydropower Projects on the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) river. This is only one of the many, many dams that will be built on the Tibetan Plateau. Tens of thousands more will be forcefully displaced from their homes to make way for these projects. What makes this situation really gloomy is that this news story, for example, did not come to the attention of most Tibetan internet users and Tibetan rights activists sooner. In the past we could blame lack of information and news from Tibet for our ignorance, but today we have such amazing technological tools as Google Earth at our disposal that can be effectively used for our information-sharing and advocacy work. Here's an example:
Someone has posted these some colorful still shots from what seems like a video clip on Google Earth:
These pictures, including some of the construction equipment, were probably taken by tourists visiting the area. All of these photos are from Google Earth:
Check out the comment posted by one of the visitors to the site:
Check out these Google Earth images of the area. The first two annotated images are from my colleagues at the Central Tibetan Administration's Environment and Development Desk. The remaining images, some of them are from November 8, 2008 and some of them are as recent as March 13, 2010. These images clearly show the villages and the fields, which will be inundated by the reservoir or developed beyond recognition. If only someone would archive all of these Google Earth images of Tibetan villages and pastoral lands before they are developed and their images updated on Google Earth.
If you would like to read some Tibetan language news from China, see this, this, this. You can get these news stories by doing a google search of "????????" (phod mdo or Phondo).
Tibetan Plateau blog reader-contributor James Trevor has compiled a brief informative report on the status and impacts of Shuangjiangkou dam. The main source of information for the report is from the (Chinese language) Journal of the Southwest Minority University, Vol. 2009 / 07, pages 16 to 19.
The Shuangjiangkou dam will be located in Ngawa Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, approximately two kilometers from the point where Barkham county�s Kyomkyo River (Jiao-Muzu in Chinese) and Chuchen county�s Trokyab River (Chuosi-Jia in Chinese) merge into a single river. Shuangjiangkou is �confluence of two rivers� in Chinese. The dam will serve as an upstream regulatory dam for a series of dams downstream on the Dadu River (Gyalrong Gyamo Ngulchu in Tibetan). Several of these dams will be built in Tibetan areas of Trokyab, Tsodun, Drakpar, Kyomkyo, and Dampa in Chuchen and Barkham counties.
Here are some photos of the site posted by Kou Lihang on Google Earth. The first photo shows construction work on the project.
Here is James' full report:
At present the Shuangjiangkou dam is under construction and the local people have to move out of the area of the future reservoir. The only descriptions of the project I could find on the internet written in English is an article by Tashi Tsering from 2004, see pages 9 and 10. He has also reported about the dam in this short news release:
At that time in 2004 and 2005 it was just a plan for another dam. While there were concerns concerning �local Tibetans who have been ordered to move away� and �historical Buddhist shrines in the area � likely to be submerged� � no details were available. Using various sources published since then and the internet I was able to get a much more detailed view of what happens in Gyarong in 2010. On Google Earth a photo of construction activity at the construction site has been posted by Kou Lihang at position 31� 47� 54� N and 101� 54� 50� E [posted above]. This is more or less where the dam is built. The exact position is 2 kilometers downstream from where the two rivers meet.
Shuangjiangkou Dam Impact Data
Technical project description The dam is 314m high. The reservoir storage capacity is 2.732 billion cubic meters of water. Installed generating capacity is 2000 MW with four turbines rated at 500 MW each. The average water flow at the dam site was measured at 524 cubic meters per second as the year round average. The average generated electricity is expected at 8.128 billion kw/h per year. The minimum expected generated electricity is 4.86 billion kw/h per year. The dam is expected to be filled with water by November 2014 and the first turbine is to run in 2015. The building cost is estimated to be 20 billion RMB or 3 billion US Dollars.
By regulating the water flow of the Dadu River with such a big reservoir the generating capacity of the dams planed or in operation further downstream will also increase by an estimated 1782 MW per year. The reservoir is also intended to hold back as much as possible of the sand that currently flows down the Dadu. Each cubic meter of water contains at present on average of between 225 grams to 298 grams of sand and silt. The total amount expected to arrive at the reservoir per year is around 4 million tons. Holding back such a large amount of sand has a positive effect on all dams downstream, as all dam reservoirs remain working at full capacity for longer and turbines are not damaged by sand. The foundation of the dam is at 2196 m above sea level and the top of the dam at 2510 m. The water level is planned to reach a maximum level of 2500 m or 10 meters below the top of the dam. At the top the dam will be 16 meters wide.
Impact on nature, population and culture The reservoir size, once the level of 2500 meters above sea level is achieved, is from the dam about 33 kilometers along the river in direction west or Guanyin. In direction east the water will reach just below the town of Songgang which is 35 kilometers from the dam. Travelling for example from east to west with a visit to the dam it is a 68 kilometers long trip.
Impact on population A total of 5925 persons have to move out of the flooded area. Nearly all of them are Gyarong Tibetans. The areas to be flooded are part of Ma�erkang (Barkham) and Jinchuan (Chuchen) county. Only one small township (Xiang) named Baiwan (Pagbar, meaning �White Bend�) with a population of 2390 persons is inside the reservoir area. The main village of Baiwan Xiang is called Jiada (Kyodag) with a population of 300 persons. All other people are from other small villages along the rivers. The dam is designed to fill up to a level of a maximum of 2500 meters above sea level as the towns of Songgang (Zonggag) and Guanyin would be under water too, if a higher level would have been decided. It looks like the reservoir size is designed to minimize the impact on the local population. Any other site along the Dadu River for a similar sized dam would result in much more people resettled.
Impact on culture The two counties have a total of 82 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples with 2252 monks in 2009. There are 7 monasteries or village temples which will be under water. The number of monks in the 7 monasteries is 137 in 2009. The 7 monasteries have 1787 followers (persons supporting and visiting frequently) in the surrounding villages which are 4.8% of the population of the two counties. This means the majority of the 5925 persons who will be resettled will be able to visit their traditional monastery. The resettlement as planed in 2009 is to move people in the same township to higher ground and not far away to new locations. An archeological survey of the reservoir area was completed during 20 days in June 2005. The archeologists from Chengdu were searching for new underground sites. Indeed 12 sites, mostly from the New Stone Age, were discovered in such a short time. The details are published in �Sichuan Wenwu� (Sichuan Cultural Relics) 6 / 2005 pages 17 to 20.
The main source for the data: Journal of the Southwest Minority University, Vol. 2009 / 07, pages 16 to 19. Chengdu, China. No abstract in English. For the technical data the most up to date sources from the internet were used. Older articles are still available but the most recent figures were used for this update.
A Tibetan man, Tsultrim Gyatso, has made a documentary film on the Colorado River. Gyatso-la is a staff and board member of the Tibetan Ecology Foundation, which has a wonderful environmental education website in both Tibetan and English languages. As a part of Tibetan Ecology Foundation's project, the film "The Blood of the Earth: Colorado River" aims to educate Tibetan people about river ecology and implications of development. The film website does not have any video clips right now but it says that the entire documentary will be available for viewing online both in English and in Tibetan. The following two paragraphs from the film website sums up their vision:
Twenty-three years ago, in 1985, television came to Tibet. From television, we learned how to change our dress, we learned how to eat new species (like crustaceans � sea insects), and from Hollywood, it seems people learn how to be violent. Through this medium, we can also learn how to protect our environment.
The Tibetan Ecology Foundation proposes to produce a documentary movie about the Colorado River. The movie would be made in both the Tibetan and the Chinese language, for distribution and viewing among the Tibetan and Chinese people, all of whom share a responsibility for the Tibetan Plateau. The Blood of the Earth-Colorado River will discuss river management, utilization, and conservation in the American Southwest. For Tibetans, the story of the Colorado River will help them to prophesize the future story of their own rivers. And with a glimpse into their future, perhaps the people of the Tibetan Plateau will have the tools to fulfill their responsibility to best care for their rivers.
Diposting oleh
Unknown on Selasa, 22 Desember 2009
There is a really good Chinese language article on pollution of Lhasa River and problems associated with mining at Gyama village of Meldro Gungkar county by Woser, the premier Tibetan blogger. You can read an English translation of the article by High Peaks Pure Earth. Check out the striking photographic evidences of the problems with water pollution and mining in the region.
The Gyama mine is now owned by a Canadian company named Jinshan. I have written about human rights implications and Canada's involvement in these projects. See: Canada and Crime Against the Tibetan People
*The maps on this blog, and the details, have been updated since it was first posted. Special thanks to Fan Xiao, the chief engineer of the Sichuan Geology and Mineral Bureau in Chengdu, for providing details on Minjiang dams. What follows is the most up to date publicly available information on hydropower projects in the region.
This is an update on maps I shared on this blog on Zungchu/Minjiang and Gyarong Ngulchu/Dadu rivers. Thanks to encouraging and informative feedback from Bruce Lee, Fan Xiao, Kevin Li, Stone Routes, and from Probe International researchers, the following maps and tables provide a unique and reliable information on dams on the eastern edges of the Tibetan Plateau.
For the sake of simplicity and accuracy a project's Status has only four possible values: Built, Under Construction, Planned/Proposed, and Cancelled. The term "Built" includes HPPs that have started generating power but are not complete, as well as those that have been operational but are currently non-functional. "Under Construction" indicates that work is proceeding on the ground and does not necessary entail that the river has been blocked or diverted. "Planned/Proposed" includes those HPPs that are those projects which the design, environmental issues, financing etc. are being developed as well as those that have been discussed but have never made it to the drawing board in any serious way. "Cancelled" includes only those projects for which there is widespread agreement that the government has decided that the proposed projects will not go ahead. This does not mean that a similar project may not be in the works to get around of the cancellation of the original project.
Capacity is given in MegaWatts. This should be understood to be the planned maximum rated power generation capacity of the generators of a HPP when it is completed. While every effort has been made to assure their accuracy, these figures are often given somewhat different values in different sources. Power generation capacity of hydropower generators is developing quickly so they may change.
Height is given in meters and indicates the total height of the dam associated with the HPP.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Clean Development Mechanism (UNFCCC CDM) assisted projects have been included on the tributaries map for three reasons. One is simply that reliable information is available for them. A second reason is that they provide examples of the thousands of small HPPs built throughout China which may (or may not) have negative consequences to the environment or local residents. A third reason they are shown is that they are examples of where Carbon Trading funds are going, which means that the general public overseas are subsidizing these projects since the Carbon Credits bought are tax deductible in developed nations. The CDM reports are available on the internet and at the UNFCCC site. More information regards UNFCCC at Wikipedia.
GYARONG NGULCHU or DADU RIVER
MEGOE TSO and TIANWAN HE
Click on the image below for details on Gyarong Ngulchu and Tianwan He dams
Hydropower Project on Zungchu / Minjiang River
Dams on the tributaries of Zungchu/Minjiang
Click on image below for details on Zungchu/Minjiang dams
Sources of data presented here: websites of Probe International, UNFCCC, China Guodian Corp., and a number of other web based resources. Various Chinese and non-Chinese maps of the area have been used for geographical information. The maps are only approximately to scale. The positions of the hydropower projects are approximate. A detailed professional map should be used for more accurate geographic information.
The Indian media has been discussing Tibet for the last two weeks. The visit of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tawang, a Tibetan region "disputed" between India and China, is a key story these days. The subject of this blog, however, is a different story. On 4th November 2009, India's Zee TV News reported that China is indeed building a dam on the Brahmaputra river. Satellite images from India's National Remote Sensing Agency were reported as shocking evidence of the dam construction activity.
Readers of the Tibetan Plateau Blog know that China's building of dam on the Brahmaputra (or Yarlung Tsangpo as it is known in Tibet) is old news. The construction of Zangmu Hydropower Project is openly reported in Chinese media for a long time. I blogged about this development as early as March 5, 2009. The Zee News report did not talk about the four other dam projects, which are planned on the Brahmaputra, just near the Zangmu project.
Another important point that the Indian media does not clarify is that the Zangmu dam, which is located on the upper-middle reaches of Brahmaputra, should not be confused with the controversial mega-hydropower project that may get built at the Great Bend of the Brahmaputra, just near the point where the river enters Indian controlled territory. Much of the Indian and Bangladesh's hoopla over Chinese dams on the Brahmputra revolve around rumours of this latter mega-project. Indian misunderstanding is further obscured by this image from the Great Bend area in the Zee TV News report. Print news materials are even worse. For example, this article completely confuses the two different projects as one.
To read my views about about the proposed mega project on the Great Bend, and a disturbing Indian view that India should quickly build some dams on the Brahmaputra to establish prior use claims over China, see this post.
Here is the youtube video of the Zee News story, followed by my rough English translation of the Hindi audio report:
Despite all the opposition from India, China is building a dam on the Brahmaputra river. India has found clear evidence that a dam is being built on the Brahmaputra River. As evident in satellite images released by National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), a dam is being built on the river. Trucks moving about 3 to 4 kilometers near the construction site have also been observed. NRSA has alerted the Indian government about these findings. This matter has been raised with China, according to India.
Zee News correspondent, Dilip Tiwari, is here with us with more information on this. It is clear again that China's intentions are not good, Dilip. Dilip, can you hear us? OK, we will speak with Dilip [if/when we can reach each other]. Let's report to you again that despite all the opposition expressed by India, China is building a dam on the Brahmaputra. Clear evidence has been found that a dam is being built on the Brahmaputra. As evident in satellite images released by National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), a dam is being built on the river.
And at this time, we have former Foreign "Sachiv" (representative?), Mr. Kamal Sabbal. Welcome to Zee News, Sabbal-ji, now that it is clear from the satellite images that China is building a dam on the Brahmaputra in full swing, what steps should India take? And how serious is this situation from the Indian point of view?
[Mr. Kamal Sabbal speaks over the phone:] "Right now, it may not be a serious issue as the Indian Prime Minister has said that this is a 'run-off-river' project, which does not have storage [water reservoir] and there will not be decrease in supply of water. However, this can get serious in the future since China has many major plans. One of their plans is to divert water from Brahmaputra to Northern China. If they undertake such a plan, then the consequences will be very serious. The thing is that, projects like this, develop slowly overtime. China has just started the work. If we don't speak to them properly, fail to ask for explanations, or fail to express our concerns, then these [projects] will develop further. So we should find out what their plans are. What are their short and medium term plans? And what effects will these have on us [India]? We should also realize that these projects will have tremendous impacts in Bangladesh. So we should also try to see if India and Bangladesh can jointly put pressure on China.
[News anchor:] How can India lay its concerns in front of China? What immediate steps should India take?
[Mr. Kamal Sabbal:] One, there should be [a joint] experts committee from both the countries to share data and to assess the impacts of the plans and projects. [You] see, if the projects don't have serious downstream impact, we cannot stop them. If water supply is indeed likely to decrease, and then there is the case of global warming and everyone is afraid that water supply will be reduced for everyone, from that perspective, it will become a very serious issue. So data-sharing is a very important point. And the third thing that we should do, with full force, is to undertake the [dam] projects on our [the Indian] side ... because if we keep talking, that these [Chinese] dams will impact us, and if we don't have any downstream projects of our own, our protests will not have much strength. However, if we have downstream projects, these [projects] will have impact over them (Chinese plans and projects), then our protests will also have more weight in international law and to the international community.
[News anchor:] Yes. It is necessary that the issue is taken up seriously by the Indian government. Thank you, Sibbal-ji, for talking to Zee News.
The information on these two maps and the table on Zungchu and its tributaries has been obtained from the Probe International website and a number of other web based resources which served to verify or correct the main sources. Again, many thanks to my ghost map maker and Kevin Li who helped locate the HPPs. Chinese and non-Chinese maps of the area have been used for geographical information and the maps are only approxiamtely to scale. The positions of the hydropower projects are approximate. A detailed professional map should be used for more accurate geographic information.
This is a quick post to share a couple of maps which show hydropower projects on the eastern fringes of the Tibetan Plateau. As rivers on "mainland China" are dammed and diverted beyond recognition, Chinese dam builders and hydro-engineers are looking towards the Tibetan Plateau for more business. Owing to this trend, more and more dams are being built on the rivers of the eastern parts of the Tibetan Plateau, mainly in Western Sichuan or Kham region. You may read an article on the policy implications of these dam projects.
Information on these maps have been obtained from websites of the Probe International, China Guodian Corp, Tibet Justice Center, and a number of other web based resources which served to verify or correct the main sources. Many thanks to my ghost map maker and to Kevin Li for corrections and clarifications on the facts, and for detailed information on the Tianwanhe Cascade. Chinese and non-Chinese maps of the area have been used for geographical information and the maps are only approxiamtely to scale. The positions of the hydropower projects are approximate.
This first map shows dams on the Dadu River, known to Tibetans as Gyarong Gyalmo Ngulchu (?????????????????????????). Shown dam projects also include those downstream of the Tibetan Plateau to help researchers who may find locating different dam names on the river confusing. For more information on these hydropower projects, see the table at the end of this post.
This second map shows on two tributaries of Gyarong Ngulchu, Wasi River and Tianwan. The Megoe Tso dam project shown on this map became controversial due to opposition from local Tibetans, who consider the lake (also known as the Yeti Lake and Megucuo) as sacred.
These five dams are Zangmu (???? or dzam), Jiacha (?????? or Gyatsa), Zhongda (?????????? or Zhomda) and Lengda (????????? or Lingda), and Jiexu and Langzhen. Only Zangmu project is being built right now and others are in the project pipeline. I am unable to find the original Tibetan names for Jiexu and Langzhen so far. If any of the readers know the Tibetan names, please let me know. I used the Tibetan & Himalayan Library to find the latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates of Zangmu (29.14 and 92.52), Gyatsa (29.11 and 92.71) and Lingda (29.07 and 92.72) townships. Here is a Google Earth image of the location of these five dam sites.
You can use the coordinates at the bottom of the image or the inverted 'V' shape of the river on the right hand corner of the image to navigate approximate locations. Better still if you have good internet connection to browse Google Earth online, you can use this link prepared by Kevin Li of the International Rivers Network.
Recently it was reported that tens of thousands of Tibetans gathered in Tawu county of Kandze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture to protest against government issued relocation notice. The incident resulted in the police shooting at the protesters. The resettlement project, according to the report, is to make way for a major hydroelectric dam between Nyagchu and Tawu counties. In a previous blog post, I opined that the dam is the Lianghekou dam. The Lianghekou will be one of the world's tallest dams with a height nearly 300 meters. The dam will have a 6.33 billion cubic meter capacity reservoir that will extend 90 km from the dam up the Nyagchu River. A dam as big as the Lianghekou will most likely require relocation of thousands of farmers living along the river.
Unfortunately, Lianghekou is just one of the 21 dams built/planned on the Nyagchu River by the Ertan Hydropower Development Company. I write this blog to share the following copyright-free map of these dams.
I will not repeat what is clearly shown in the map. Click on the map to find out for yourself how these dams will change the face of eastern Tibet. This map is the most accurate publicly available document of its kind.
I like to share questions that I wonder about with readers. Here are three questions:
1. Where are most of the corruption happening with these projects, assuming corruption is endemic in the Chinese dam industry? 2. Where will most of the power generated from these dams be diverted? To the west for China's most ambitious copper mine/smelter, the Yulong, or to the east for Chinese cities? 3. What is the best way to raise awareness about the social and environmental costs of these projects within China?
Dams Planned, Under Construction, or Operated by Ertan Hydropower Development Company, Ltd. on the Nyagchu (Yalong River), Sichuan, PRC
There are currently 21 hydropower dam planned, under construction, or operated on the Nyagchu (Yalong River) by Ertan Hydropower Development Company, Ltd.. These are listed below and their locations shown on the map "Nyagchu/Yalong River: Dams Completed, Under Construction, and Planned by Ertan". The five categories are those given on the Ertan website and are most likely out of date. While the operational dams and dams under construction are still correct, it is possible that one or more of the dams said to be in the preparatory stage to be in fact more accurately characterized as under construction.
Location of Projects on the Map
The positions of the projects on the map have been estimated from the Ertan Cascade Projects Planning chart, several maps showing planned dams along the Nyagchu, a 1984 report on dams planned in the PRC by U.S. Department of Commerce which included a map and a cascade chart for all but one of the dams from Lainghekou south, and additional geographical information about the dams. The locations of projects from Lianghekou south have been confirmed by at least two sources as well as the Cascade Projects Planning chart. The distances up the river were also verified using the path option in Google Earth, which in a couple of cases was surprisingly accurate. The Ertan dam is visible in Google Earth image so coordinates are available for it. The map is not definitive (i.e. is not based on a exact coordinates verified on the ground), but is accurate for its scale, based on information currently publicly available. It corrects some of the maps which were used as sources, and is more accurate and complete than any we were able to find.
The following information are directly from the website of Ertan Hydropower Development Company.
Power Station in Operation
Ertan The Ertan website states "Ertan Hydropower Station is China�s largest hydropower station completed in the 20th century. Construction of Ertan Power Station created several �No. Ones� in China and in the world, which are:
No. ones in China: 1. China�s first high dam exceeding 200m. 2. China�s largest group of underground caverns and tunnels (also the largest in Asia). 3. China�s largest power plant built in the 20th century (with a total capacity of 3,300MW). 4. China�s largest unit capacity of 550MW, realizing a big leap from 335MW to 550MW. 5. China�s first hydropower project fully open for international competitive bidding.
No. ones in the world: 1. A project for which the World Bank provided the largest loan as a single project. 2. The total load of 980 tonnes taken by the dam and the designed spillway capacity of 22,480 m3/s are the largest among high dams in the world. 3. The cross section of the diversion tunnels (23m high by 17.5m wide) is the largest in the world."
Projects Under Construction
Jinping I Located in the counties of Yanyuan and Muli, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Its large reservoir makes it a controlling project in the lower reach of the main river. Jinping-I is huge in scale, and power generation is its main purpose. The project has a total installed capacity of 3,600MW (6 � 600MW). Its total storage capacity is 7.76 billion m3, and with a regulation storage of 4.91 billion m3, it is a storage capacity is 7.76 billion m3, and with a regulation storage of 4.91 billion m3. The project consists of permanent structures categorized as water retaining, spillway and dissipation, and power tunnels and powerhouse complex. Its 305m-high double curvature concrete arch dam is one of the world�s highest dams. Total construction period of the project is 9 years and 3 months, and its total static investment is RMB19.68 billion yuan, while the total dynamic investment is RMB24.58 billion yuan.
Jinping II Located on the large Jinping River Bend, and is the second of the five cascade projects on the river section from Kala down to the estuary. Jinping-II is designed to cut the 150km river bend by a group of power tunnels to use the natural drop created by the bend. The project primarily consists of a headwork sluice dam, spillway structures, power tunnels and powerhouse complex. The dam is 7.5km downstream of Jinping-I dam. Jinping-II reservoir itself only has a capacity of daily regulation, but when jointly operated with Jinping-I, it also has the capacity of yearly regulation. The 4 power tunnels have an average length of 16.6km and an excavated diameter of 13m, which are among the world�s longest and largest hydraulic tunnels. The powerhouse complex sits underground on the other side of the river bend. The project has a total installed capacity of 4,800MW (8 � 600MW), which gives a multiyear average annual generation of 24.23TWh. Total construction period of the project is 8 years and 3 months, and its total static investment is RMB24.98 billion yuan, while the total dynamic investment is RMB29.77 billion yuan.
Projects in Preparatory Stage
Guandi Situated 30 km from Xichang City in straight line and 80 km by road. It is the third of the five cascade projects on the river section from Kala to the estuary, and connects with the downstream Ertan Project. The main purpose of Guandi Project is power generation, and its total installed capacity is 2400MW. With the maximum height of the dam being 168m. The reservoir has a total storage of 760 million cubic meters. The complex mainly consists of a RCC (roller compacted concrete) gravity dam, an underground powerhouse on the right bank, and spillway facilities. Its total static investment is RMB12.49 billion yuan, while the total dynamic investment is RMB15.2 billion yuan.
Tongzilin Situated in Yanbian County of Panzhihua municipality, Sichuan Province, 18km to its upstream Ertan Dam and 15km to the confluence of the Yalong and Jinsha rivers. It is the last cascade project on the Yalong River. The total installed capacity of the project is 600MW (4�150MW). The complex consists of the water-retaining dam sections on both sides, a river-bed type powerhouse, and spillway structures. The maximum dam height is 66.63m, and the length of the dam crest is 468.7m."
Lianghekou Situated in Yajiang County of Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province. The project sits where the Yalong merges respectively with the Qingda and Xianshui rivers, hence the name �lianghekou� (meaning �estuary of two rivers�). Because of its particular location with one dam blocking three rivers, and because of its large reservoir, this project is truly a controlling project in the middle and lower reaches of the Yalong. The reservoir, with a regulation storage of 6.33 billion cubic meters, has the capacity of multi-year regulation, and will therefore provide good compensation for all its downstream cascade power stations on the Yalong and even on the Jinsha and Yangtze. The total installed capacity of the project is 3,000MW. The project has favorable development conditions, and will play an important role in improvement of the power source structure of Sichuan power grid, optimization of power source configuration, and fulfillment of the strategy of West-to-East transmission of electric energy. It is a strategic fulfillment of the strategy of West-to-East transmission of electric energy. It is a strategic project for hydroelectric development of the Yalong River and even the whole West, and for coordinated socioeconomic development.
Projects in Investigation Stage
The Ertan website states "The middle reach river section, from Lianghekou to Kala, is 268km long. According to the approved planning, there are six projects in this section of the river, namely Lianghekou (3,000MW), Yagen (1,400MW), Lenggu (2,718MW), Mengdigou (1,840MW), Yangfanggou (1,500MW), and Kala (1,080MW), with a total capacity of approximately 11.54GW. Of these projects, Lianghekou has a large controlling reservoir.
Yagen Hydroelectric Project Yagen Hydroelectric Project is located in Yajiang County of Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Its intended capacity is 1,400MW, which will yield a multi-year power generation of 6,368GWh. The expected static investment is about 9.64 billion yuan.
Lenggu Hydroelectric Project Lenggu Hydroelectric Project is located in Kangding and Yajiang counties of Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Its intended capacity is 2,718MW, which will yield a multi-year power generation of 12,570GWh. The expected static investment is about 22.25 billion yuan. Pre-feasibility study of the project is in process.
Mengdigou Hydroelectric Project Mengdigou Hydroelectric Project is located in Jiulong County of Ganzi Prefecture and Muli County of Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Its intended capacity is 1,840MW, which will yield a multi-year power generation of 9,070GWh. The expected static investment is about 12.62 billion yuan. Pre-feasibility study of the project is in process.
Yangfanggou Hydroelectric Project Yangfanggou Hydroelectric Project is located in Muli County of Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Its intended capacity is 1,500MW, which will yield a multi-year power generation of 7,05GWh. The expected static investment is about 10.77 billion yuan. Pre-feasibility study of the project is in process.
Kala Hydroelectric Project Kala Hydroelectric Project is located in Muli County of Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Its intended capacity is 1,080MW, which will yield a multi-year power generation of 5,24GWh. The expected static investment is about 9.0 billion yuan. Pre-feasibility study of the project is in process."
Projects in Planning Stage
The Ertan website states, "The upper reach of the river, from Jiayisi to Lianghekou, is 688km long, and development planning for this section is underway. Based on the investigation data obtained to date, 10 cascade projects with a total installed capacity of 3,250MW are intended to be built, which are Wenbosi (150MW), Renqingling (300MW),Reba (250MW), Ada (250MW), Geni (200MW), Tongha (200MW), Yingda (500MW), Xinlong (500MW), Gongke (400MW), and Gongbagou (500MW)."
The Tibetan Government in Exile has reported at least 6 identified Tibetan women have sustained serious gunshot wounds for protesting against dam projects near their home. I have copy/pasted the entire story below. For some reason I didn't see the news until this afternoon. Here are some more information and photos about/from the region that might help contextualize the story.
Here is photo of Tawu County (??????????) called Daofu Xian administrative seat. The two photos shared here are from Marshall and Cooke's landmark study, Tibet Outside TAR. I recommend reading a description of Tawu County by the same authors. The River Xianshui flows West to East on the South of Tawu county seat, after which it takes a sharp turn South to join Ngyagchu (??????) or Yalong River, near Nyagchuka (Ch: Yajiang) county. The thousands of protesters reported here are from areas situated between these two county seats: Tawu and Nyagchuka. Here is an aerial (satellite) shot of the same area from Google Earth. Date photo taken and longtitude/latitude coordinates are visible if you click on the photos.
Here is a photo of Nyagchuka's Tibetan town, on the East side of the river. Again, this photo is from Marshall and Cooke's study, Tibet Outside TAR.
Since I first located the Indus River (Senge Tsangpo) dam on Google Earth, a friend and I have been searching other areas of the Tibetan Plateau for noticeable images. We found a lot of interesting stuff, including many dams and mining sites. And guess what, two of the dams we had marked are from this length of river where the dam is being built! Unfortunately the resolution of much of the region is not clear except for one patch (of image) which was taken nearly two years ago. These two dams are from that patch of image. If any of the readers have paid subscription to Google Earth and can help find other interesting stuff, that'd be much appreciated.
Note that the dams identified here are (most likely) not the one people are protesting. As the images show, these are relatively small run-off-river dams with no reservoirs. It is possible that of these are being submerged by the reservoir against which people are protesting. Notice that much of the surrounding area are forests and agricultural lands.
Also, I wonder why there were so many protestors against one dam. It must be a very big dam, with a huge reservoir that requires inundation of vast areas of land.
OK, here's the news article from the Tibetan Government-in-Exile:
6 Tibetans Seriously Wounded in Protests Against China's Hydroelectric Dam Project
Tuesday, 26 May 2009, 10:00 a.m. Dharamshala: At least 6 Tibetan women have sustained serious gunshot wounds after Chinese security forces opened fire at a group of Tibetans in Tawu County, who were venting their anger against China's forceful relocation of tens of thousands of local Tibetans, sources reported Monday.
The Public Security Bureau officials and People's Armed Police indiscriminately fired at Tibetan residents of Tawu and Nyagchu County in Karze Tibet Autonomous Prefecture, at around 11 a.m. (local time) on Sunday, 24 May.
The sources attributed the incident to China's construction of a major hydroelectric dam between Nyagchu and Tawu County, which is resulting in a large-scale displacement of local Tibetans. The government coerced local residents of Tawu County to sign a document as it begin to plan the construction work in early 2008.
This year the Chinese authorities again reinforce their relocation plan, which was vehemently opposed by the Tibetans who refused to leave their ancestral lands and houses.
Subsequently, on 5 May 2009, the Chinese government dispatched a large number of armed police to the region and destroyed homes of some families, including those of Ati Gyatso Tsang and Chego Pezi Tsang.
Earlier, the authorities convened a meeting and erected a stone pillar in their plan to relocate the residents of Wara Mato town to another place. Expressing strong opposition to the forced relocation policy, the angry residents led by an old woman named Lhamo, who is believed to be aged above 70, refused to move saying they are owner of the land and destroyed the pillar.
Consequently, as residents from Tawu and Nyagchu districts gathered in the region to protest the arrival of large number of troops on the morning of 24 May, the army fired shots leaving six Tibetan women seriously wounded.
Those wounded have been identified as Tsering Lhamo, Rigzin Lhamo, Dolma, Kelsang, Dolkar and Khaying.
But sources could not tell whether those injured are dead or alive as they were forcibly taken away after the firing incident.
