Dam construction will continue to 2008, when operators plan to fill the reservoir level to a depth of 175 meters. So far, more than 640,000 people have been resettled. Tens of thousands will still need to move before submergence starts in April 2003.
With submergence imminent, the Three Gorges Project has reached a critical stage. It is time to take stock of how the resettlement program has been carried out so far, and how the project authorities and the involved financial institutions have fulfilled their responsibilities. International Rivers Network has commissioned a long-time observer of the Three Gorges Dam to visit the project area and the resettlement sites, and to prepare a report on the current status of resettlement, compensation and rehabilitation. Because of the lack of freedom of speech and expression in China, the researcher is using a pen name, Yi Ming.
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