Environmental impact assessments of the Three Gorges Project in China: issues and interventions

The paper takes China's authoritative Environmental Impact Statement for the Yangzi (Yangtze) Three Gorges Project (TGP) in 1992 as a benchmark against which to evaluate emerging major environmental outcomes since the initial impoundment of the Three Gorges reservoir in 2003. The paper particularly examines five crucial environmental aspects and associated causal factors. The five domains include human resettlement and the carrying capacity of local environments (especially land), water quality, reservoir sedimentation and downstream riverbed erosion, soil erosion, and seismic activity and geological hazards. Lessons from the environmental impact assessments of the TGP are: (1) hydro project planning needs to take place at a broader scale, and a strategic environmental assessment at a broader scale is necessary in advance of individual environmental impact assessments; (2) national policy and planning adjustments need to react quickly to the impact changes of large projects; (3) long-term environmental monitoring systems and joint operations with other large projects in the upstream areas of a river basin should be established, and the cross-impacts of climate change on projects and possible impacts of projects on regional or local climate considered. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.Xibao Xu, Yan Tan, Guishan Yan

Allometric relationship and development potential comparison of ports in a regional cluster: A case study of ports in the Pearl River Delta in China

The development potential of a regional port cluster (RPC) is subject to the internal and external factors influencing port development. Port cargo throughput is an important internal factor, whereas import and export volume is a significant external factor. The growth rate of import and export volume is disproportionate to that of port cargo throughput. This study aims to measure the allometric relationship between the two abovementioned factors and establish a comprehensive development potential evaluation system on the basis of the RPC growth rate. This work uses a case study of the ports in China's Pearl River Delta, which is being greatly influenced by the framework agreement and outline of the development of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) in China. Findings reveal that import and export volume has a higher impact on port development potential than does port cargo throughput. In addition, Shenzhen has the highest development potential in terms of import and export volume, while Zhuhai Port has the highest potential in terms of port cargo throughput. Finally, an evaluation using the comprehensive development potential evaluation system shows that Shenzhen Port has the best comprehensive port development potential. Evaluating the development potential of ports in RPCs will offer useful insights that can be used by regional port company groups and relevant governmental authorities in making scientific decisions on port development and planning, especially in the crucial stage of the establishment of the GBA, and in rationally coordinating their development and minimizing unfair competition