ABSTRACT
China is expected to quadruple its gross domestic product (GDP) between 2001 and 2020, while doubling its use of energy during the same period. Owing to the rising price of oil in the world and the high risk associated with nuclear energy, hydropower development has become a major energy strategy worldwide, with a substantial increase in reliance on hydropower in China. By 2020, China aims to produce 200–240GW of hydroelectricity, which means adding 7–9GW of new hydropower capacity per year. Moreover, the projects could provide opportunities for employment, building materials, and agricultural and other by-products. There is also a potential to optimize industrial structures. Hydropower projects inundate high-quality farmland in the valleys, i.e. the best farmland with the favourable climatic conditions of the city.
