Dams hold a crucial function as a huge wall barrier constructed in streams or catchment areas in order to prevent water flowing and therefore causing flood. Since dams are designed to withstand immense volume of water, the bigger the dams are built, the better it will keep all the water in place.
Speaking about dams, you can find the world’s gigantic dam structure ever made in the rivers of China. In this article, we will go through the details of the largest dam in Asia that stands out as an exceptional creation in the world’s history of water engineering.
What is the largest dam in Asia?
Before we go deep into the details, do note that the criteria for “largest” dam here is measured based on its total water volume, electricity capacity, and overall structural size. If we take all of these parameters into account, the title of largest dam in Asia belongs to the Three Gorges Dam.
Situated at Yangtze River in Hubei, China, the Three Gorges Dam is the largest manmade hydroelectric power station in the world. As described in the USGS official website, this humongous dam stores a massive electric capacity of 22,500 megawatts. That’s about three times bigger than the electric capacity of the Grand Coulee Dam in Columbia and 20 times more powerful than the Hoover Dam in Colorado, US.
Technical data of Three Gorges Dam
Compiled from Britannica and the World Meteorological Organization, below are the technical details about the Three Gorges Dam as the largest dam in Asia:
- Location: Yangtze River, Hubei Province, China
- Electric capacity: 22,500 megawatts
- Height: 185 meters or 607 feet tall
- Concrete volume: 28 million cubic meters or 37 million cubic yards
- Reservoir capacity: 39.3 billion cubic meters
Functions and environmental impacts
Functions of the Three Gorges Dam
- Flood control: Triggered by the flooding of Yangtze River which killed many citizens in 1954, the Three Gorges Dam was built to provide protection from disastrous periodic floods. Considering this purpose, the Three Gorges Dam possesses a flood-control capacity of 22.15 cubic meters as well as a flood discharge capacity of about 27,000 to 33,000 cubic meters.
- Hydroelectric power plant: Famed as the world’s most productive hydroelectric dam, the Three Gorges Dam functions as a huge power station as well. With about 32 turbine generators and 2 additional generator units, Three Gorges Dam is able to produce 22,500 megawatts of electricity. In 2020, it even set a new world record for annual power generation volume by generating 111.88 terawatt of electricity per hour.
- Improving river navigation: Situated in Yangtze River’s middle reach, the Three Gorges Dam helps elevate the water level along a 660-kilometer or 410 miles stretch from Chongqing to Yichang. Furthermore, it also connects ships of up to 10,000 tons to other major cities like Wuhan and Shanghai, resulting in lower transportation costs and reliable waterborne commerce.
- Water supplier: Though this function was unintentional at first, the government decided later on to make use of Three Gorges Dam as a water supplier during the time of drought or dry season. As explained by Travel China Guide, discharged water from the dam helps provide water for consumption, farm irrigation, and industrial production.
Downsides
The construction of Three Gorges Dam comes with its own set of pros and cons. Now that we’ve talked about the good parts, let’s look at its environmental impacts:
- Water pollution and habitat disruption: One of the main issues pointed out by critics regarding the environmental impact of Three Gorges Dam is the increasing water pollution caused by reduced river flow and relocation of factories near the reservoir. According to yangtzeriver.org, the placement of the large dam also poses other serious threats such as increased logging, erosion, and habitat disruption for endangered species.
- Displacement of local residents: While Three Gorges Dam is indeed one of the world’s greatest engineering feet, it caused at least 1.3 million people to be displaced from their homes. Not to mention, there’s also opinions stating that the reservoir would inundate almost 1,300 archeological sites.
Tallest vs biggest dam in Asia
It is important to keep in mind that the Three Gorges Dam is the largest dam ever made but it is not the tallest. According to World Atlas, in terms of height, the Jinping-I Dam in China’s Yalong River is the tallest out of all the dams in Asia. Standing at 1,001 feet tall, the Jinping-I Dam or also referred to as the Jinping-I Hydropower Station is a hydroelectric power plant built from 2005 to 2014.
Even though most of the world’s biggest dams lie in China, there are a couple of other big dams across the Asian region. For instance, the Bakun Dam in Sarawak, Malaysia, has a reservoir storage capacity of 43.8 billion cubic meters and a generation capacity of 2,520 megawatts, making it the largest dam in Southeast Asia.
Another example is the Bhakra Dam—a concrete gravity type dam lying in Sutlej River, northern India, with a total reservoir capacity of 9.34 billion cubic meters. Soaring up to 225.55 meters or 740 feet high, Bhakra Dam is considered the second tallest dam in Asia, according to Rupnagar.
