Scientific Development Concept and River Development

Author: Zheng Yisheng, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: China needs energy for its development, but once power construction overheats, it can lead to chaos and enormous waste. China needs to vigorously develop hydropower, but the "Great Leap Forward" that ignores the health of river systems and the interests of related farmers will bring immeasurable damage, even disasters, to social harmony and the country's ecosystem. Issues related to river development not only require the integration of multiple knowledge domains and the balancing of diverse interests but also demand the scientificization and democratization of decision-making processes. For such complex issues, it is essential to prevent any form of simplification or emotionalization under any pretext and to guard against any form of arrogance or prejudice. Many of the authors in this book can be considered "cautious builders." From certain perspectives, they advocate for a very cautious approach to constructing large hydropower projects on major rivers, with some expressing particular concerns about the long-term negative consequences of "power circles diverting water." However, due to insufficient, opaque, and asymmetric information, many people struggle to obtain adequate information and data (some of which should rightfully be available to the public); due to the considerable weaknesses in research in these areas by relevant authorities; and due to subjective reasons such as the limitations of our knowledge, some crucial issues have never been thoroughly investigated. Therefore, this book is far from sufficient in both breadth and depth—it can only be considered a starting point.