Danger of collapse at 69 dams in China

Back in 2002 while in South Africa, I remember reading a study by a local researcher who talked about the correlation between dams and earthquakes. When this terrible earthquake struck China and reports of damage to numerous dams was announced I immediately thought back to that South Africa study. Take a look at this BBC article from 2002 about the link between dams and earthquakes and note the comments about the Three Gorges dam.

It's easy to understand China's thirst for energy as the country grows. The downriver impact outside of China along the Mekong (another massive dam project) has disturbed me because people in neighboring poorer countries live and breath the Mekong so any changes can have catastrophic results.

Even in China, the dams have caused problems beyond the well publicized issues of lost villages and forced relocations. Rescue missions for the earthquake victims were delayed due to remote locations, bad weather and an inability to send heavy supplies via riverboats, the more traditional method of transportation. Is there a connection between this massive earthquake and the series of dams in the region? In time we will find out. China has done an impressive job responding to this emergency but I hope that they take a fresh look at dams and their broad impact. Energy is only part of the debate and certainly not the only issue, as we are discovering.