Abstract
The Three Gorges Dam in China, when complete, will be the largest dam in the world. International criticism regarding the economic and environmental viability of the project has also made it one of the world's most controversial development projects. Critics cite human rights violations, ecological disaster, cultural erosion, and economic and financial risks as some of the problems with the project. Yet, despite international and domestic criticism, the Chinese government has pledged its determination to complete the project, claiming increased energy production capacity, improved navigational capabilities and greatly needed flood control as impetus. Although many of the traditional funding mechanisms for international development have refrained from providing financial support for the project, foreign direct investment has continued to flow in. This raises questions regarding the influence of private capital verses that of traditional funding mechanisms in controversial development schemes such as the Three Gorges Dam.
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