3 Gorges water-soil conservation facilities completed

Water-soil conservation facilities at the Three Gorges Dam areas have been constructed and passed the acceptance test of the Ministry of Water Resources, according to Chinese authorities on Tuesday. China has invested 904 million yuan (141.9 million U.S. dollars) in water and soil conservation efforts at the Three Gorges Dam areas, mainly through infrastructure building and planting, according to the ministry.The project has successfully brought 2,044.07 hectares of land under conservation control and covered 719.78 hectares of land with plants, the ministry said. Niu Chongheng, deputy director of the water and soil conservation department of the ministry, said the conservation project is of great significance to the safe operation of the Three Gorges Dam and the eco-environment nearby, adding the conservation efforts will continue after the acceptance test. Niu's opinion was echoed by an official assessment released Tuesday on the country's climate change. Future climate change may cause more extreme weather, such as severe floods and droughts, in the dam region, according to the Second National Assessment Report on Climate Change. Natural disasters like flooding and landslide would put intense pressure on the safety of the dam, while droughts might undermine its regular operations, said the report. It also called for enhanced efforts in the preservation of the eco-system in the area, and the establishment of a dispatching network to control the water amount in different seasons.