Let’s take a deep dive into the Three Gorges Dam

What if I told you that the world’s biggest dam is so massive that it literally caused the earth’s rotation to slow down?

I know, it sounds crazy, but it’s a fact. The Three Gorges Dam (which sounds like it’s gorgeous but is actually pretty ugly) was supposed to prevent devastating floods from destroying villages along the Yangtze River in China. Instead, the world’s largest concrete structure has turned into a giant disaster, with endless repercussions.

Let’s take a deep dive into the Three Gorges Dam.

Okay, we got it. The Yangtze River is immense and important. But where do the curses come in?

The great flood of 1931 was the first clue. The Yangtze River is very prone to flooding. On average, the river floods once every ten years. And when the river overflows its banks, it floods in a big way.

Every time the Yangtze River floods, the cost is exorbitant. Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of lives are lost. Repairs cost billions of yuan and take years. Basically, just as soon as everyone has recovered, another flood hits.

There had to be some solution to the disaster-in-waiting that is the Yangtze River. That solution was the Three Gorges Dam.