The Three Gorges Dam The Three Gorges Dam is an unfinished project that will be the largest dam ever built on planet Earth. It is located in China, on the third largest river in the world: the Yangtze. The dam has been discussed since 1919 and is still a hot topic of debate due to its many pros and cons. Construction of the dam began in 1994 and is expected to be completed by 2009. The sheer size of the dam is staggering, and its functions – if the dam actually works – are truly remarkable; however, such a large structure also involves difficulties, sacrifices and cynicism. The goal of this essay is to provide an understanding of the dam itself, the dam's potential benefits, and potential drawbacks; this will provide the reader with a solid knowledge base to ascertain whether the dam will be beneficial or harmful to the country of China. Debates began in 1919 when a man named Sun Yatsen proposed the idea of ​​damming the Yangtze for energy production. [1] Since then the debate on whether or not to build the dam has not stopped. Since the early 1990s, when the project was finally approved, the mission seemed very scandalous. “Contractors were believed to have won tenders through bribery and then skimped on equipment and materials to evade construction costs.”[2] Because of these corrupt cost cuts, parts of the dam were built inadequately. “Chinese media have recently reported numerous incidents in which corruption and poor construction have led to disasters on major construction sites. Notable among the reports was the collapse of a steel bridge in the city of Chongqing in January 1999 that killed 40 people. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html[14] Adams, Patricia, Haggart, Kelly. Who is behind China's Three Gorges Dam, http://www.nextcity.com/probeinternational/ThreeGorges/who.html[15] Ibid. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html[16] Schmidt, Jeremy. The flood coming to China. International Wildlife v26 p34-43. S/O '96 http://O-vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.sculib.scu.edu/hww/results/results_si...[17] Ibid. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html[18] Ibid. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html[19] Ibid. www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html[20] Ibid www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html[21] Ibid www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html[22] Ibid www.chinaonline.com/refer/ministry_profiles/ threegorgesdam.asp[23] Ibid www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html[24] Ibid www.pbs.org/itvs/greatwall/yangtze.html