China's 1998 Summer Flood Disaster on the Tangtze
Jethro LeRoy Gibbs
Ms. Shepherd
Honors English 10
24 March 2013
Mighty Hell from the Yangtze
China’s 1998 summer floods killed thousands of people, affected billions of people across the globe, left millions homeless, destroyed or damaged millions of homes, affected millions acres of land, and killed billions of dollars in their economic status. One unfortunate factor that played a huge role in the strengthening of the summer floods that China faced and suffered was human neglect (“Bad Planning”). However, one of the many significant factors that are highly crucial in flood control is the world’s largest power station (“Three Gorges”) also known as the Three Gorges Dam. Without the Three Gorges Dam capability of controlling the river floods, each summer poses a great threat to those who dwell near the Yangtze and its tributaries. But despite the complications concerning with the yearly river floods, the Yangtze played a significant role in establishing many trade routes for many centuries (Wakeman 492). However, since the early dawn of civilization, the Yangtze River proved to contain some of the deadly summer floods that China will ever experience. The Yangtze is naturally located in the Eastern Lowlands, which also contains most of China’s best farmland. In 1998, a collection of floods of the Yangtze River caused by deforestation, overpopulation, location, and failure to learn past mistakes all resulted in a high number of deaths, millions of homeless people, life-threatening water borne diseases, and the suffrage in the industrial and agricultural status; however, the aid and support of China’s government, the United Nations, China’s army and military, and the unification within the people of China eventually brought a better realization on how the repetition of its summer floods could have been avoided in the first place. In other words, the chaos and suffrage that was endured by the many that were affected by China’s repetition of its collection of
Ms. Shepherd
Honors English 10
24 March 2013
Mighty Hell from the Yangtze
China’s 1998 summer floods killed thousands of people, affected billions of people across the globe, left millions homeless, destroyed or damaged millions of homes, affected millions acres of land, and killed billions of dollars in their economic status. One unfortunate factor that played a huge role in the strengthening of the summer floods that China faced and suffered was human neglect (“Bad Planning”). However, one of the many significant factors that are highly crucial in flood control is the world’s largest power station (“Three Gorges”) also known as the Three Gorges Dam. Without the Three Gorges Dam capability of controlling the river floods, each summer poses a great threat to those who dwell near the Yangtze and its tributaries. But despite the complications concerning with the yearly river floods, the Yangtze played a significant role in establishing many trade routes for many centuries (Wakeman 492). However, since the early dawn of civilization, the Yangtze River proved to contain some of the deadly summer floods that China will ever experience. The Yangtze is naturally located in the Eastern Lowlands, which also contains most of China’s best farmland. In 1998, a collection of floods of the Yangtze River caused by deforestation, overpopulation, location, and failure to learn past mistakes all resulted in a high number of deaths, millions of homeless people, life-threatening water borne diseases, and the suffrage in the industrial and agricultural status; however, the aid and support of China’s government, the United Nations, China’s army and military, and the unification within the people of China eventually brought a better realization on how the repetition of its summer floods could have been avoided in the first place. In other words, the chaos and suffrage that was endured by the many that were affected by China’s repetition of its collection of
Cited: "1998 Yangtze River Floods." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 May 2013. Web. 18 Mar. 2013. Ansfield, Jonathan Lang, Graeme. "Forests, Floods, and the Environmental State in China | Graeme Lang - Academia.edu." Forests, Floods, and the Environmental State in China. Academia.edu, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013. "Three Gorges Dam." Wikipedia Wakeman, Frederic, Jr. "China." The World Book Millenium 2000 Encyclopedia. 2000 ed. Vol. 3. Chicago: World Book, 2000. 474-508. Print. C-Ch. Watson, John T., Michelle Gayer, and Maire A